Eudie Coughlan

Coughlan's father, Pat, was the eldest of the family and won back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 1893 and 1894.

His uncles included Denis 'Lyonsie' Coughlan, Jer Coughlan, Dan Coughlan and Tom 'Honest Man' Coughlan who all played with 'the Rockies' and claimed All-Ireland titles with Cork.

Coughlan's mother's maiden name was Dorney.

Her brothers were also both prominent in Blackrock and Cork hurling circles.

All of Coughlan's family earned their livelihoods as fishermen.

As a youngster he rowed a boat on the River Lee, picked mussels and prepared them for dispatch to Liverpool.

Coughlan later worked with the Ford Motor Company, the workplace of many Cork All-Ireland medal winners, before finding a job with the Cork Harbour Board.

Coughlan carried on the tradition of his father and uncles and played his club hurling with the famous Blackrock club.

He enjoyed much success.

Eugene 'Eudie' Coughlan (pronounced Cawlan) was born in Blackrock, just outside Cork in 1899.

He was born into a family that was steeped in the hurling tradition of the area.

Eugene "Eudie" Coughlan (26 August 1900 – 4 January 1987) was an Irish hurler.

Coughlan first played competitive hurling with the Blackrock club, making his senior debut in 1918.

In a hugely successful club career, he lined out in twelve county finals, winning seven county senior championship medals.

Coughlan lined out in his first county final in 1918, however, 'the Rockies' were defeated by Carrigtwohill.

It was the first of nine consecutive final appearances for the Blackrock club.

The following year Coughlan's club made the final once again, however, on that occasion it was the St. Finbarr's club who triumphed.

His league and championship career with the Cork senior team spanned thirteen seasons from 1919 until 1931.

Born in Cork, Coughlan was raised in a strong hurling family.

His father as well as several of his paternal and maternal uncles all won All-Ireland medals with Cork in the early years of the championship.

After impressing on the club scene, Coughlan came to prominence at inter-county level at the age of nineteen when he was added to the Cork senior panel in 1919.

Coughlan first came to the attention of the Cork hurling selectors in 1919 when Blackrock played a Cork selection in a game in aid of Republican prisoners.

Later that same year he was a non-playing substitute on the Cork team that defeated Dublin to win the All-Ireland final.

The following year Coughlan was still a member of the substitute's bench when Cork won the Munster title.

In 1920 Coughlan won his first senior county title as Fairhill were defeated in the final.

The championship was suspended in 1921, however, Coughlan's side were back in the finals of 1922 and 1923.

On both occasions the team was beaten by 'the Barr's.' Coughlan added two more county victories to his collection in 1924 and 1925, however, St. Finbarr's caught Blackrock in the final of 1926.

The following year Coughlan won his fourth county medal.

Over the course of the next thirteen seasons he won five All-Ireland medals, beginning with a lone triumph as a non-playing substitute in his debut season, three championship titles in four seasons between 1926 and 1929 and a fifth and final winners' medal as captain of the team in 1931.

Coughlan also won seven Munster medals and two National Hurling League medals.

After being chosen on the Munster inter-provincial team for the first time in 1928, Coughlan was an automatic choice on the starting fifteen for a number of years until 1932.

During that time he won three Railway Cup medals.

Even during his playing days Coughlan came to be recognised as one of the greatest players of all time.

Blackrock failed to reach the final in 1928, however, in 1929 he won his fifth county title.

It was the first of three-in-a-row for Coughlan, bringing his county medal tally to seven.

He played his last game for Cork in November 1931.

Coughlan was joined on the Cork team by his brother, John.

The 1931 final victory was Coughlan's last big occasion with Blackrock.

The club would not win another county title until 1956.

In 1985 he was the recipient of the GAA's All-Time All-Star Award, while he was posthumously named in the right wing-forward position on the Cork Hurling Team of the Century in 2000.