Brendan Coulter

Brendan Coulter

Personal information
Irish name	Breandán Ó Coitáir
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Corner Forward
Born	7 June 1982
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Nickname	Benny
Club(s)
Years	Club
1998-	Mayobridge
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County	Apps (scores)
2000-2014	Down	55 (18–121)
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles	1
All-Irelands	1
All Stars	1

Brendan "Benny" Coulter is a Gaelic footballer. He plays with his local club Mayobridge and previously with the Down senior football team until his retirement in 2014.^[1][2][3][4]

Playing career

Coulter is regarded as one of the best attackers in present-day football.^[1] He is Ulster's leading Championship goal scorer of all-time.

He won an Ulster Minor Championship Medal in 1999, and later that year won the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship with Down he scored 1-02 in the All Ireland Final. Down manager Pete McGrath selected Coulter to make his debut for the senior team that year, despite his youth.^[5] He has since become one of Down's key players.^[5] He has captained Down,^[6] and has been described as the team's 'talisman'.^[7]

Coulter was selected to represent Ireland in the International Rules Series five times, in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010. He has also won 4 Railway Cups he has also won U-12, U-14, U-16, Minor and Reserve League and Championship, and also won an All-Ireland Under-16 Football Championship with St Marks Warrenpoint.

Benny has won 8 county championship with his club Mayobridge and is one of the most iconic players to ever come from the Mourne county.

Coulter has admitted to being targeted by sledging while on the field of play.^[8] Coulter supports Liverpool F.C..

Honours

Club

• 8 Down Senior Football Championships (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
• 6 Down Senior Football League Division 1s (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010)

Inter-county

• 2 Down Minor Football Championships (1997, 1999)
• 1 Ulster Minor Football Championship (1999)
• 1 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship (1999)
• 1 All Ireland Under 16 Vocational School's (1997)
• 1 Ulster Under 16 Vocational School's (1997)
• 1 Down Vocational School's (1996)

Provincial

• 4 Railway Cups (2003, 2007, 2009, 2012)

International

• 2 International Rules (2004, 2008)

Individual

• 2 Down County Final Man of the Matches (2002, 2004)
• 2 Irish News Ulster All Stars (2003, 2010)
• 1 All Star (2010)

References

1. "Mayobridge see off Carrickmore". BBC News. 2004-11-21. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
2. "Benny Coulter has announced his retirement". GAA.ie. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
3. "Benny Coulter calls time on outstanding Down career". Irish Independent. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
4. "We’ll be seeing less great inter-county goals as Down’s Benny Coulter retires". The Score. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
5. "Linden insists that Down hot-shot Coulter's time has come". Irish Independent. 2008-08-02.
6. "Football: ..TODAY'S FOOTBALL NEWS". Sunday Mirror. 2006-03-26.
7. "Tyrone v Down". RTÉ News. 2008-06-05.
8. "Benny Coulter: ‘I’ve been the victim of GAA sledging’". The Score. 28 March 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2012.

External links

• Down GAA site