Benny Gaughran

Bernard Laurence Gaughran (born 16 July 1945), better known as Benny Gaughran is a solicitor and Gaelic footballer. He played Gaelic football at a senior level in four different decades starting in the 1960s with Clan na Gael (Louth), UCD (Dublin), Civil Service (Dublin) and St Sylvester's (Dublin) GAA clubs and was a member of the Louth Minor & Senior inter-county teams from the 1960s until the 1980s and the Dublin Over 40s team in the 1990s. Even before he became a Louth Minor, he trained assiduously and strengthened his body on a daily basis with a nightly regime of press-ups and situps.

UCD Picture of the Ucd sigerson cup winning team 1968 just prior to the final in Croke Park on 28 January 1968. Benny can be seen in the centre of the front row

Benny commenced his sporting career in UCD playing soccer and junior Gaelic football and by 1964 was playing in his first Sigerson. It was in this era in UDC Gaelic Football that the Captain, Benny, trained the team and organised team affairs. There was no team manager appointed. However, Gaughran was ably supported then by the up-and-coming Eugene McGee who later on became UCD Gaelic Football manager.

Controversially, in 1971 when UCD beat UCC in the Sigerson Cup semi-final in Galway, there was an objection lodged that Gaughran was not properly registered - a claim which Gaughran maintained was incorrect. However, the ruling body upheld the objection and threw UCD out of the competition. Benny returned to play again with UCD the following year. Eugene McGee - Gaughran's manager for many years whilst playing for UCD - regarded him as one of the most dedicated players he had ever encountered. Donal McAnallen regarded Benny as one of the most prolific scorers and dedicated university players of the century.

Interprovincial (Leinster) career Having won All-Ireland club final title with UCD in 1974, Gaughran, in the same weekend, won and Interprovincial (Railway Cup) medal with Leinster.

In fact, in the 1970s they played and lost to three subsequent All-Ireland Champions - all three games hard and close - against Offaly, Meath & Dublin.

Managerial career Benny Gaughran took over the job as manager of St. Sylvester's football team in Malahide in September, 1993.

Other sports While studying law in UCD, Benny also played soccer. Liam Tuohy once tried to get him to return to soccer with Shamrock Rovers. And coincidentally, Benny's son, Bernard, lost to Geraldines in the 2013 Leinster Intermediate Club Football Championship final after a replay playing for Naomh Olaf (Dublin).

Honours Clan na Gael (Louth) Louth Senior Football Championship: Runner-up (1): 1964

UCD (Dublin) All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship: Winner (1): 1973–74 Leinster Senior Club Football Championship: Winner (1): 1973 Dublin Senior Football Championship: Winner (2): 1965, 1973 Sigerson Cup: Winner (1): 1967–68 (captain) Runner-up (1): 1964 Selected for Combined Universities Selection: 1967 (captain) Dublin Senior Football League: Winner (1): 1965

Civil Service (Dublin) Dublin Senior Football Championship: Winner (1): 1980 Runner-up (1): 1979, 1992 Letterkenny All-Ireland Football Seven-a-side tournament: Winner (3):

Louth National Football League (Division 3): Winner (1): 1982–83 O'Byrne Cup: Winner (1): 1963

Leinster Railway Cup: Winner (1): 1974

Awards Year Award-giving body Award Result 1968 The Irish Press Sports Star of the Week 1976 www.hoganstand.com Louth Gaelic Football Player of the Year 1976 Louth Past/Present Players Association GAA Sport Star Award (Senior Football)