DR KARL MULLEN, who died at his home in Kilcullen aged 82, was an illustrious and revered figure in the annals of Irish rugby and in his professional capacity a distinguished gynaecologist.
He was born in 1926 in Courtown Harbour, Co Wexford, to Daniel and Annie Mullen. He was one of 10 children: three sons and seven daughters. His father, a civil servant, instilled in them that “education was everything and everything was education”. Three of his children, two sons and a daughter, became medical doctors.
The family moved to Dublin and Karl was educated at Belvedere College, where the great skill and leadership qualities he was later to reveal in such telling fashion on the rugby field were honed.
While a teenage student at the Royal College of Surgeons, he joined the Old Belvedere Club to which he gave outstanding service.
Old Belvedere was at that time the outstanding club in Leinster winning the Senior Cup a record seven times in succession between 1940 and 1946. He played in two of those cup victories in 1945 and 1946. He subsequently won cup medals again in 1951 and 1952. He was capped for Leinster in the autumn of 1945 and a few months later he was chosen as a 19-year-old to play for an Irish XV against the British Army at Ravenhill. One of his team mates that afternoon was another 19-year-old medical student, Jack Kyle. Thus began a lifelong friendship between two of the true greats of Irish rugby.
The following season he played in all four of what were termed “victory internationals”, for which caps were not awarded. He won his first cap against France in January 1947, the first of 25 consecutive appearances for Ireland.
He took over the leadership of the Ireland side from Ernie Strathdee for the match against England in 1948 and led Ireland to the Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam. It was Ireland’s first Triple Crown success since 1899. Karl Mullen was just 22 years old at the time.
He led Ireland to Triple Crown and championship success again in 1949 and to the championship in 1951. Such was the quality of his leadership that he was chosen to captain the Lions team that toured New Zealand and Australia in 1950.
He led the side to a draw against New Zealand in the first test but was injured in the second test and missed the next two against the All Blacks. But he returned to captain the Lions to a resounding victory in the second of two tests against Australia.
He played his last match for Ireland in February 1952 and, by then a young doctor, he retired from representative rugby at the end of the 1952 season at just 26 years of age.
Asked later what his attitude was he said: “Loyalty to your colleagues, discipline, respect for your opponents, dedication and motivation.” In his eulogy at Mullen’s funeral Mass this week, Jack Kyle emphasised that he lived true to those precepts.
He married Doreen (nee Kilbride) and that proved to be a wonderful alliance that sustained him through his career. They had eight children: five daughters and three sons. Doreen predeceased him exactly 12 months ago.
He took up a medical appointment in Derbyshire, England, for three year before he returned to Ireland and then began an association with Mount Carmel Hospital in Rathgar that endured until his retirement seven years ago after a remarkable career as an outstanding gynaecologist.
He brought to his medical career the same dedication and attention to duty he had revealed on the rugby field. His contribution to the maternity unit in Mount Carmel was immense, as was illustrated by his popularity with patients and staff.
He was a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. While he helped to deliver thousands of babies, his daughter Mary pointed out at his funeral that, when asked why he had eight children, he replied that it was the best possible advertisement for his profession. That was typical of his sense of humour, one of his many endearing characteristics.
Quite apart from his playing career, he also served the game of rugby as a most able administrator. He was a Leinster selector and, for three years from 1961 to 1964, a member of the Ireland Selection Committee, acting as chairman of the committee during that period.
He was president of the Leinster Branch in 1963-64 and also served on the IRFU committee for a period in the 1960s. He was president of Old Belvedere in 1973-74 and captain of the club on three occasions. Golf was another of his sporting interests and he was a founder of the Rathsallagh Club.
He rejoiced when Ireland won the Grand Slam for the first time in 61 years last March.
He is survived by five daughters, Louise, Niamh, Mary, Gaye and Anna; three sons, Karl, Paul and Marc; three sisters and 18 grandchildren.
Karl Mullen born November 26th, 1926; died on April 26th, 2009