John Eddie Mullan Explained

John Eddie Mullan
Sport:Gaelic football
Code:Football
County:Derry
Province:Ulster
Clposition:Forward
Club:Drumsurn
Glenullin
Magilligan
Dungiven
Clyears:1939–1942
1943
1944
1945–1957
Clcounty:2
Counties:Derry
Icposition:Forward
Icyears:19xx–1955
Nfl:1
Birth Place:Galvin (outside Dungiven),
County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Birth Date:27 April 1923

John Eddie Mullan (27 April 1923  - 14 December 2008) was a Gaelic footballer who played for the Derry county team in the 1940s and 1950s.[1] He was part of the first Derry side to win the National Football League and also won two Dr McKenna Cups and three Dr Lagan Cups with the county.[1]

For most of his career he played club football for St Canice's Dungiven and won two Derry Championships with the club.

Mullan has been described as "one of Derry's greatest forwards"[1] and one of Derry's best ever players.[2]

Personal life

Mullan was born in the townland of Galvin, between Dungiven and Drumsurn[1] on 27 April 1923. In the latter half of his life he was a publican in Portrush. He died peacefully on 14 December 2008 at his home in Portrush, County Antrim at the age of 85.[1]

Playing career

Inter-county

John Eddie Mullan was a permanent feature on Derry teams throughout the 1940s and 1950s[1] and was full forward when Derry won the county's first National Football League title in 1947, defeating Clare in the final at Croke Park.[1] He scored 1-01 in that game (1 goals and 1 point - each goal equals 3 points; 1 x 3 + 1 = 4 points, see GAA scoring rules).[3]

He also won two Dr McKenna Cup medals (1947 and 1954) and three Dr Lagan Cup medals with Derry.[1] A particularly memorable game was a 1951 McKenna Cup game against Fermanagh in which he scored 3-05.[4] His last county game was against Tyrone in the 1955 Ulster Senior Football Championship.[4]

Club

Mullan started out his football career with Drumsurn in 1939,[5] where he played for a couple of years.[1] He played for Glenullin in 1943 and Magilligan in 1944, before joining Dungiven in 1945, where he spent the rest of his career.[1] With Dungiven he won Derry Senior Football Championships in 1947 and 1951.[1] Mullan's last game for the club came in the 1957 North Derry Championship final against Ballerin.[4]

Honours

County

Club

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

Notes and References

  1. News: Connla . Young . Tributes paid to John Eddie Mullan . County Derry Post . 8 . 30 December 2008 .
  2. News: Seamus . Mullan . Pick of the mighty Oaks . . 60–61 . 19 February 2009 . 18 March 2009 .
  3. News: Chris . McCann . Gribben and ’47 greats were in a league of their own . County Derry Post . 30 December 2008 .
  4. News: Death Of Derry GAA Legend . . 16 December 2008 . 30 December 2008 . https://archive.today/20130121095518/http://www.derryjournal.com/derry-sport/Death-Of-Derry-GAA-Legend.4796797.jp . dead . 21 January 2013 .
  5. Web site: St. Matthew's Drumsurn History . 30 December 2008 . St. Matthew's Drumsurn website . 13 June 2004 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081226162617/http://www.drumsurngac.com/news-midulster/news2004/13-1-June2004.php . 26 December 2008 . dead .