{{short description|Irish Gaelic footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Use Irish English|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox Gaelic Athletic Association player | name = Cian Mulligan | image = | alt = | caption = | <!-- Personal information --> | irish = | clposition = | icposition = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1996|03|04}} | birth_place = Gweedore, County Donegal | death_date = | death_place = | feet = | inches = | nickname = | occupation = | <!-- Club(s) --> | clyears = 201?– | clubs = [[CLG Ghaoth Dobhair|Gaoth Dobhair]] | clapps(points) = | <!-- Club titles --> | code = Football | sport = Gaelic football | county = Donegal | clcounty = 1 | province = Ulster | clprovince = 1 | clallireland = | <!-- Colleges(s) --> | colyears = | colleges = | colapps(points) = | <!-- College titles --> | fitz = | sig = | <!-- Inter-county(ies) --> | icyears = 201?– | counties = [[Donegal county football team|Donegal]] | icapps(points) = | <!-- Inter-county titles --> | icprovince = | icconnacht = | iculster = 1 | icleinster = | icmunster = | icallireland = | nfl = | nhl = | allstars = | <!-- Last updated --> | clupdate = | icupdate = }} '''Cian Mulligan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|iː|ə|n}} {{respell|KEE|ən}}, {{IPA|ga|ˈciənˠ|lang}}; born 4 March 1996) is an Irish [[Gaelic football]]er who plays for [[CLG Ghaoth Dobhair|Gaoth Dobhair]] and the [[Donegal county football team|Donegal county team]].
He scored two goals in the [[2018 Ulster Senior Football Championship]], a competition which his county team won. He also scored a goal in the [[2018 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship]], a competition which his club won.
==Playing career== ===Club=== Mulligan won a [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]] medal with his club in [[2018 Donegal Senior Football Championship|2018]], scoring three points in the final.<ref name=dominant_display_end_pain>{{cite news|first=Peter|last=Campbell|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1021/1005691-gweedore-0-17-naomh-conaill-1-07-gweedore-donegal/|title=Gaoth Dobhair end 12 years of pain with dominant display|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=21 October 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106002759/https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1021/1005691-gweedore-0-17-naomh-conaill-1-07-gweedore-donegal/|archivedate=6 November 2018}}</ref>
He then played during Gaoth Dobhair's first ever [[Ulster Senior Club Football Championship]]-winning campaign later in [[2018 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship|2018]], a run which involved a quarter final defeat of [[Erin's Own GAC, Cargin|Cargin]] (a game in which Mulligan scored a goal and a point),<ref>{{cite news|first=Paddy|last=Tierney|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1104/1008611-gaoth-dobhair-donegal-3-11cargin-antrim-1-13/|title=Gaoth Dobhair survive fightback to make Ulster SFC last four|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=4 November 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105150156/https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1104/1008611-gaoth-dobhair-donegal-3-11cargin-antrim-1-13/|archivedate=5 November 2018}}</ref> a semi-final defeat of eleven-time winners [[Crossmaglen Rangers GAC|Crossmaglen Rangers]] (a game in which Mulligan scored a point),<ref>{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Mooney|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1118/1011725-gweedore-on-the-goal-trail-to-book-ulster-final-spot/|title=Gaoth Dobhair on the goal trail to book maiden Ulster final spot|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=18 November 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120105600/https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1118/1011725-gweedore-on-the-goal-trail-to-book-ulster-final-spot/|archivedate=20 November 2018}}</ref> and culminated in the club defeating [[Scotstown GAA|Scotstown]] (who had won the competition on four previous occasions), the last two of these games occurring at [[Healy Park]] in [[Omagh]]. Mulligan scored a point in the Ulster final, vital as the sides were separated by one point in the end, following [[Overtime (sports)|extra time]].<ref name=edge_out_scotstown>{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Mooney|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1202/1014694-gaoth-dobhair-hold-firm-to-win-historic-ulster-title/|title=Gaoth Dobhair edge out Scotstown in extra-time to win historic Ulster title|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=2 December 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203144809/https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/1202/1014694-gaoth-dobhair-hold-firm-to-win-historic-ulster-title/|archivedate=3 December 2018}}</ref>
===Inter-county=== Mulligan won the 2014 [[Ulster Minor Football Championship]] title with Donegal; they defeated [[Armagh county football team|Armagh]] in the final.<ref name=minor_scoring_blitz_deserved_victory>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/donegal-minors-complete-first-part-of-historic-double-for-county-1.1872554|title=Donegal minors complete first part of historic double for county: First-half scoring blitz ensures a deserved victory over Armagh for Declan Bonner's side|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=20 July 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724054717/http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/donegal-minors-complete-first-part-of-historic-double-for-county-1.1872554|archivedate=24 July 2014}}</ref> He played in the [[2014 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship]] final loss to Kerry, scoring one point.<ref name=kerry_claim_minor_title>{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Mooney|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/kerry-claim-minor-title-after-thrilling-game-in-croker-642686.html|title=Kerry claim minor title after thrilling game in Croker|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=21 September 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223123/http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/kerry-claim-minor-title-after-thrilling-game-in-croker-642686.html|archivedate=3 March 2016}}</ref>
He made a substitute appearance in the 2015 [[Ulster Under-21 Football Championship]] final loss to [[Tyrone county football team|Tyrone]].<ref name=tyrone_crowned_under-21_champions>{{cite news|first=Orla|last=Bannon|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2015/0408/692833-ulster-u21-final-tyrone-v-donegal/|title=Tyrone footballers crowned Ulster Under-21 champions|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=8 April 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205025508/https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2015/0408/692833-ulster-u21-final-tyrone-v-donegal/|archivedate=5 December 2018}}</ref>
First featuring at senior level for his county under the management of [[Rory Gallagher (Gaelic footballer)|Rory Gallagher]], Mulligan started against [[Monaghan county football team|Monaghan]] and against [[Mayo county football team|Mayo]] during Donegal's Division One campaign in the [[2017 National Football League (Ireland)|2017 National Football League]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Foley|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/late-escape-for-monaghan-as-donegal-pay-penalty-446248.html|title=Late escape for Monaghan as Donegal pay penalty|work=[[Irish Examiner]]|date=27 March 2017|accessdate=27 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Colm|last=Gannon|url=https://www.the42.ie/mayo-donegal-report-3320260-Apr2017/|title=Aidan O'Shea's late introduction proves decisive as Mayo see off Donegal to avoid relegation|publisher=[[The42.ie]]|date=2 April 2017|accessdate=2 April 2017}}</ref>
Under the management of [[Declan Bonner]], Mulligan made a substitute appearance against [[Cavan county football team|Cavan]] in the preliminary round of the [[2018 Ulster Senior Football Championship]], scoring a goal as his county progressed to the quarter-final.<ref>{{cite news|first=Editorial|last=Importer|url=https://www.gaa.ie/football/news/ulster-sfc-donegal-too-good-for-cavan/|title=Ulster SFC: Donegal too good for Cavan|date=13 May 2018|accessdate=13 May 2018}}</ref> He made another substitute appearance against [[Derry county footballl team|Derry]] in that quarter-final, scoring another goal as his county progressed to the semi-final.<ref>{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Mooney|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/0527/966359-mcbrearty-excels-to-fire-donegal-past-derry/|title=McBrearty excels to fire Donegal past Derry|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=27 May 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528134534/https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/0527/966359-mcbrearty-excels-to-fire-donegal-past-derry/|archivedate=28 May 2018}}</ref> He made another substitute appearance in the final and scored a point to help Donegal to victory.<ref name=rte_fermanagh_24062018>{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Mooney|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/0624/972816-ruthless-donegal-end-fermanaghs-ulster-title-dream/|title=Energetic Donegal end Fermanagh's Ulster title dream|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=24 June 2018|accessdate=24 June 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625161155/https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2018/0624/972816-ruthless-donegal-end-fermanaghs-ulster-title-dream/|archivedate=25 June 2018}}</ref>
He opted out of inter-county football for the [[2019 Donegal county football team season|2019 season]] but returned ahead of the [[2020 Donegal county football team season|2020 season]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Ryan|last=Ferry|url=https://donegalnews.com/2019/11/bonner-boosted-by-return-of-young-guns/|title=Bonner boosted by young guns return|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=28 November 2019|page=80}}</ref>
He was not part of the panel during the [[2022 Donegal county football team season|2022 season]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://donegalgaa.ie/team/donegal-gaa/|title=Donegal GAA — Senior Squad 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531015147/https://donegalgaa.ie/team/donegal-gaa/|archivedate=31 May 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life== Mulligan emigrated in 2023.<ref>{{cite news|first=Ryan|last=Ferry|title=Fine first year for [Ronan] Mac Niallais|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=19 October 2023|page=68|quote=Daire Ó Baoill was away for a while but came back for the championship, but that lift was somewhat cancelled out by the fact that Cian Mulligan emigrated.}}</ref>
==Honours== ;Donegal * [[Ulster Senior Football Championship]]: [[2018 Ulster Senior Football Championship|2018]]<ref name=rte_fermanagh_24062018/> * [[Ulster Under-21 Football Championship]] runner-up: 2015<ref name=tyrone_crowned_under-21_champions/> * [[All-Ireland Minor Football Championship]] runner-up: [[2014 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship|2014]]<ref name=kerry_claim_minor_title/> * [[Ulster Minor Football Championship]]: 2014<ref name=minor_scoring_blitz_deserved_victory/>
;Gaoth Dobhair * [[Ulster Senior Club Football Championship]]: [[2018 Ulster Senior Club Football Championship|2018]]<ref name=edge_out_scotstown/> * [[Donegal Senior Football Championship]]: [[2018 Donegal Senior Football Championship|2018]]<ref name=dominant_display_end_pain/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{CLG Ghaoth Dobhair squad}} {{Donegal Senior Football Champions 2018}} {{Donegal Minor Football Team 2014}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulligan, Cian}} [[Category:1996 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Donegal inter-county Gaelic footballers]] [[Category:Gaoth Dobhair Gaelic footballers]]