HAVING CAPTAINED CONNACHT to an incredible triumph in the Guinness Pro12 in May, it’s probably safe to say that John Muldoon has no regrets about how his sporting career transpired.
However, the Ireland international flanker admits that he only took up rugby at the age of 14 or 15 in order to keep himself fit while the GAA season was on a break during the winter.
“Before that it was all about hurling and dreaming of being Joe Cooney,” Muldoon says. “Little did I realise back then that I’d be playing for Connacht many years later.”
Although he didn’t get a run in the final, Muldoon was actually a member of the Galway panel that defeated Cork in the 2000 All-Ireland minor hurling decider at Croke Park.
One of the stars of that side was his Portumna team-mate Damien Hayes: “John was always a phenomenal athlete. He had legs like tree trunks. To say that he made it as a rugby player, no I wasn’t surprised, being honest. He was just a naturally built talent.”
Muldoon will reflect on his hurling days on tonight’s episode of Thank GAA It’s Friday, which airs on RTÉ 2 from 8.30pm. Here’s a teaser…
