Declan Coulter

{{Short description|Donegal, Armagh and Setanta hurler}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox Gaelic games player | name = Declan Coulter | image = | alt = | caption = |  | irish = | sport = Hurling | clposition = | icposition = | birth_date = 1987/8 | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | feet = | inches = | nickname = | occupation = Primary school teacher<ref name=dn_07052020/> |  | clyears = 20??–201?<br>201?– | clubs = Cuchulainn's<br>[[Setanta Hurling Club (Donegal)|Setanta]] | clapps(points) = |  | code = | county = | clcounty = | province = | clprovince = | clallireland = |  | colyears = | colleges = | colapps(points) = |  | fitz = | sig = |  | icyears = 2005–2016<br>2017– | counties = [[Armagh county hurling team|Armagh]]<br>[[Donegal county hurling team|Donegal]] | icapps(points) = |  | icprovince = | icconnacht = | iculster = | icleinster = | icmunster = | icallireland = | nfl = | nhl = | allstars = |  | clupdate = | icupdate = }} '''Declan Coulter''' (born 1987/8)<ref name=in_04092019/> is a [[Hurling|hurler]]. He plays for [[Setanta Hurling Club (Donegal)|Setanta]], the [[Donegal county hurling team|Donegal county team]] and the [[Ireland national hurling team|Ireland national team]].

Coulter previously played for Cuchulainn's and the [[Armagh county hurling team|Armagh county team]].

==Playing career== ===Club=== Following a move to Donegal, Coulter began playing for Setanta with whom he won a [[Donegal Senior Hurling Championship]]{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} and an [[Ulster Junior Club Hurling Championship]] in 2017, scoring 1–6 in the Ulster JCHC final against [[Na Magha CLG|Na Magha]].<ref name=gaa_20062018/><ref name=ii_06112017>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/coulters-strike-drives-setanta-to-glory-36292496.html|title=Coulter's strike drives Setanta to glory|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=6 November 2017|access-date=6 November 2017}}</ref> He won his second Donegal SHC in 2019, scoring 1–2 (including 1 free) in the final.<ref name=hs_02092019>{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/303510|title=Donegal SHC final: Setanta goals sink St Eunan's|work=[[Hogan Stand]]|date=2 September 2019|access-date=2 September 2019}}</ref> He played on the Setanta team that won the [[2022–23 All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Championship|2022 Ulster Junior Club Hurling Championship]], scoring 0–10 (0–5 of which were frees) in the final.<ref name=daily_27112022>{{cite news|first=Dáire|last=Bonnar|url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2022/11/27/super-setanta-soar-clear-to-win-another-ulster-jhc-title/|title=Super Setanta soar clear to win another Ulster JHC title|date=27 November 2022|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref> He played on the Setanta team that won the [[2023–24 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship|2023 Ulster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship]], thus becoming the first team from Donegal to win the competition, and scored 0–1 in the final.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://donegalnews.com/setanta-create-history-to-win-ulster-ihc-title1/|title=Setanta create history as they win the Ulster IHC title|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=2 December 2023|access-date=2 December 2023}}</ref><ref name=inews_03122023>{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Mooney|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2023/12/03/news/ulster_ihc_final_report-3820376/|title=Donegal's Setanta see off game Eire Og in Ulster IHC Final|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=3 December 2023|access-date=3 December 2023|quote=Declan Coulter and Danny Cullen were the experienced heads behind the flourish which saw Gilmore add another three scores…}}</ref>

===Inter-county=== Coulter made his inter-county debut for Armagh at the age of 17 in 2005.<ref name=in_04092019/> He won his first [[Nicky Rackard Cup]] in [[2010 Nicky Rackard Cup|2010]].{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} He won his second Nicky Rackard Cup with Armagh in [[2012 Nicky Rackard Cup|2012]], scoring 2–2 in the final against [[Louth county hurling team|Louth]].<ref name=hs_09062012>{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=170850|title=Nicky Rackard final: Orchard blooms against Louth|work=[[Hogan Stand]]|date=9 June 2012|access-date=9 June 2012}}</ref> He continued to play for Armagh until 2016.<ref name=in_04092019/>

Coulter began playing for Donegal in 2017.<ref name=in_04092019/> He played for Donegal during the [[2018 National Hurling League]], when the county recorded their first competitive victories over [[Derry county hurling team|Derry]] and [[Down county hurling team|Down]] (he scored 1–1 in the comprehensive defeat of Derry and 0–2 in the three-point defeat of Down).<ref name=gaa_20062018>{{cite news|first=Michael|last=Devlin|url=https://www.gaa.ie/news-archive/news/the-cullen-family-continues-to-deliver-for-donegal-hurling/|publisher=GAA|title=The Cullen family continues to deliver for Donegal hurling|date=20 June 2018|access-date=5 November 2020|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702185228/http://gaa.ie/news-archive/news/the-cullen-family-continues-to-deliver-for-donegal-hurling/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/donegal-make-their-own-history-36566987.html|title=Donegal make their own history: Donegal 4–17 Derry 2–9|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=5 February 2018|access-date=5 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Tom|last=Comack|url=https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaelic-games/299024/donegal-pull-off-a-historic-first-win-over-downj.html|title=Donegal hurlers pull off an historic first win over Down in Letterkenny|date=25 February 2018|accessdate=25 February 2018}}</ref> Donegal also defeated Armagh in the closing game of that league campaign, with Coulter contributing 2–1 (including one penalty) to the three-point victory over his former side.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/allianz-hl-div-2b-fired-up-coulter-burns-orchard-36694202.html|title=Fired-up Coulter burns Orchard: Donegal 2–17 Armagh 1–17|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=12 March 2018|access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref> Donegal went on to win the [[2018 Nicky Rackard Cup]], Coulter's first for Donegal and third overall, with Coulter scoring 1–10 (0–4 of which were frees, 0–1 of which was a '65) in the final, a seven-point victory for Donegal.<ref name=ii_23062018>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/donegal-win-the-nicky-rackard-cup-for-the-first-time-since-2013-37041773.html|title=Donegal win the Nicky Rackard Cup for the first time since 2013|newspaper=[[Irish Independent]]|date=23 June 2018|accessdate=23 June 2018}} The photograph is captioned: "Declan Coulter of Donegal celebrates with his daughter Lara, age 1, following the Nicky Rackard Cup Final match between Donegal and Warwickshire at Croke Park in Dublin".</ref> He was later named Nicky Rackard Hurler of the Year.<ref name=dsh_03112018>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=https://www.donegalsporthub.com/donegal-star-declan-coulter-nicky-rackard-hurler-year/|title=Donegal star Declan Coulter is Nicky Rackard Hurler of the Year|date=3 November 2018|access-date=3 November 2018}}</ref> He and fellow Donegal player [[Stephen Gillespie]] featured on the Nicky Rackard Team of the Year.<ref name=dsh_03112018/>

Coulter was named as a replacement on the 2018 All-Star team for their game against the 2019 All-Star team in [[Abu Dhabi]] in November 2019.<ref name=dsh_19112019/><ref name=hr_30112019/> He put in a man of the match performance and scored 1–6 from play, despite not being an actual All-Star and being in the presence of hurlers from teams ranked above any across Ulster.<ref name=hr_30112019>{{cite news|url=https://www.highlandradio.com/2019/11/30/declan-coulter-shines-in-pwc-all-star-game-in-abu-dhabi/|title=Declan Coulter shines in PwC All Star game in Abu Dhabi|publisher=[[Highland Radio]]|date=30 November 2019|access-date=30 November 2019|quote=It was a great experience being from one of the weaker counties and a nice honour. It was about two weeks ago that I got notice so it was a matter of trying to arrange work and baby sitters but it was a trip you couldn't turn down – and for my wife Ciara as well to get something out of it.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Seán|last=Moran|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/declan-coulter-takes-opportunity-to-shine-in-abu-dhabi-1.4099686|title=Declan Coulter takes opportunity to shine in Abu Dhabi: Donegal and former Armagh hurler scores 1–6 and is named Man of the Match|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=29 November 2019|access-date=29 November 2019}}</ref><ref name=dsh_19112019>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=McNulty|url=http://www.donegalsporthub.com/declan-coulter-to-feature-in-all-stars-trip-to-abu-dhabi/|title=Declan Coulter to feature in All-Stars trip to Abu Dhabi|date=19 November 2019|access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref> [[Martin Breheny]], in the ''[[Irish Independent]]'', wrote that Coulter, having outscored teammates of the calibre of [[Séamus Harnedy]] (Cork) and [[Graeme Mulcahy]] (Limerick), had "made a major statement on behalf of hurlers from lower-ranked counties".<ref>{{cite news|first=Martin|last=Breheny|authorlink=Martin Breheny|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/donegals-coulter-top-man-in-all-star-shoot-out-38740300.html|title=Donegal's Coulter top man in All-Star shoot-out|work=[[Irish Independent]]|date=30 November 2019|access-date=30 November 2019}}</ref>

Coulter has expressed his support for the "Team Ulster" concept that would allow [[Ulster GAA|Ulster]] to contest the [[Liam MacCarthy Cup]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hoganstand.com/Article/Index/310636|title=Video: eleven top hurling people discuss the Team Ulster proposal|work=[[Hogan Stand]]|date=1 June 2020|access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/2020/0601/1144810-we-have-to-do-something-were-standing-still/|title='We have to do something — we're standing still' — Players and managers support idea of Ulster hurling team|publisher=[[RTÉ Sport]]|date=1 June 2020|access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2020/06/02/news/highlighting-the-merits-or-otherwise-of-a-team-ulster-hurling-initiative-1959905/|title=Video: Highlighting the merits or otherwise of a 'Team Ulster' hurling initiative|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=2 June 2020|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref>

==Personal life== Having spent several years living in [[Dublin]], Coulter settled in the [[River Finn (County Donegal)|Finn Valley]] area of [[County Donegal]].<ref name=in_04092019/> He met Ciara Cullen from Donegal while representing [[Ireland national hurling team|Ireland]] in the [[Shinty-Hurling International Series]] in Dublin in 2006.<ref name=in_04092019>{{cite news|first=Gerry|last=McLaughlin|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/hurlingandcamogie/2019/09/04/news/declan-coulter-setanta-focusing-on-ulster-and-keady-tussle-1702361/|title=Declan Coulter: Setanta focusing on Ulster and Keady tussle|work=[[The Irish News]]|date=4 September 2019|access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref> Coulter later married her.<ref name=hr_30112019/> Cullen is the sister of Donegal player [[Danny Cullen|Danny]].<ref name=in_04092019/> Coulter has since become a father.<ref name=ii_23062018/> He has a son and a daughter.<ref name=dn_07052020/>

==Honours== ;Armagh *[[Nicky Rackard Cup]]: [[2010 Nicky Rackard Cup|2010]],{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} [[2012 Nicky Rackard Cup|2012]]<ref name=hs_09062012/>

;Donegal *[[Nicky Rackard Cup]]: [[2018 Nicky Rackard Cup|2018]]<ref name=ii_23062018/>

;Setanta *[[Ulster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship]]: 2023<ref name=inews_03122023/> *[[Ulster Junior Club Hurling Championship]]: 2017,<ref name=ii_06112017/> 2022<ref name=daily_27112022/> *[[Donegal Senior Hurling Championship]]: 2017,{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} 2019<ref name=hs_02092019/>

;Individual *Nicky Rackard Hurler of the Year: 2018<ref name=dsh_03112018/> *Nicky Rackard Team of the Year: 2018<ref name=dsh_03112018/> *All-Stars Man of the Match, Abu Dhabi: 2019<ref name=hr_30112019/> *''[[Donegal News]]'' Sports Personality winner: March 2020<ref name=dn_07052020>{{cite news|first=Ryan|last=Ferry|url=https://donegalnews.com/2020/05/coulter-is-march-sports-personality-of-the-month/|title=Coulter is March Sports Personality of the Month|work=[[Donegal News]]|date=7 May 2020|page=54|quote=However the Dromore NS teacher did receive a boost late last year when he was selected to go on the All Star trip to Abu Dhabi.|archive-date=9 June 2020|access-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609010923/https://donegalnews.com/2020/05/coulter-is-march-sports-personality-of-the-month/|url-status=dead}} Original print title was "Coulter collects league title in Carrickmore".</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Navboxes |title=Ireland squads |bg=green |fg=white |list1= {{Ireland composite rules shinty team 2006}} {{Ireland composite rules shinty team 2008}} }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulter, Declan}} [[Category:1980s births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Armagh inter-county hurlers]] [[Category:Donegal inter-county hurlers]] [[Category:Ireland international hurlers]] [[Category:Irish schoolteachers]] [[Category:Setanta hurlers]] [[Category:21st-century Irish sportsmen]]