Offaly football folk hero takes over as chairman of Rhode GAA Club

ONE of Offaly's most cherished and famous Offaly footballers has returned to take over as chairman of Rhode GAA Club.

Eugene Mulligan was elected as chairman at their Annual General Meeting on Friday night. He replaced John Kilmurray who stepped down after four years at the helm. Eoghan Hickey was returned as secretary and the treasurer is Aine Egan.

Mulligan is known throughout the country. An All-Ireland minor football medal winner with Offaly at just fifteen years of age in 1964, he was an outstanding wing back as Offaly won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1971 and 1972. Indeed, he had the distinction of being the only nomination for an All-Star for right half back in 1971.

He had quickly burst onto the Offaly senior football team after minor ranks, making his debut in 1967. He played a whopping 117 competitive league and championship games for Offaly seniors, winning Leinster senior football medals in 1969, 1971, '72, '73 and 1980. He was wing back in the 1969 All-Ireland final defeat by Kerry.

He won a Leinster U-21 football medal in 1968 and his controversial dismissal before half time was a significant factor in the All-Ireland final defeat by Derry that year.

A brilliant, tough wing back, he was one of the handful of very important players who bridged the great teams of the 1970s and 1980s. The influence and leadership of Mulligan, Kevin Kilmurray, Paddy Fenning and Mick Wright – along with Martin Furlong and Sean Lowry who were still there when Offaly won a third All-Ireland in 1982 – were instrumental in Offaly finally getting the better of Dublin and winning an absolutely crucial Leinster title in 1980.

He has been entrenched in Rhode GAA Club all his life. He won Senior Football Championship medals with them in 1966, 1967, 1969 and in 1975 when they entered a long 23 year famine. He was the manager when Rhode ended that famine in 1998 – from 2003, they embarked on a period of great dominance in Offaly club football.

He was one of the three man management team that guided Offaly in 1995 and 1996 alongside Ferbane's Kevin Gavin and Walsh Island's Eamon Mulhall.

While his playing exploits have brought him national fame, he has also served his county and club very well as an adminstrator. He previously served as Rhode GAA chairman in the 1980s and got involved at Offaly County Board level while in his playing prime. He was elected as Offaly Leinster Council delegate in 1975, topping the poll on the first count and storming home on the second count with a whopping 98 votes – Birr's Michael Verney was re-elected, with the incumbent Tullamore's Alo Kelly, losing out, 67-66 for the second position.

Mulligan stepped down after one year but returned as PRO in 1981 and also held that position in 1982 as Offaly won the All-Ireland senior football title. Incidentally, Evelyn Currams, mother of dual hero Liam, was assistant PRO in 1982 when she became the first woman to be elected as an Offaly GAA officer.

He takes over Rhode in a busy time. They did very well to regain the Offaly Senior Football Championship in 2022 while they have ambitious development plans for their grounds at Fr Dowling Park.