November 26th, 1926
Dr Karl Daniel Mullen (26 November 1926 – 27 April 2009) was an Irish rugby union player and consultant gynaecologist who captained the Irish rugby team and captained the British Lions on their 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand.
Mullen was born in Courtown Harbour, County Wexford and educated at Belvedere College and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
He played as a lock or flanker and is particularly remembered for his leadership on the field. Mullen made significant contributions to Irish rugby during his career.
He played as hooker, winning 25 caps for Ireland from 1947 to 1952. He captained the Irish team to their first Grand Slam in the 1948 Five Nations Championship and was one of eight players from that team who lived to see the country’s next Grand Slam in 2009.
One of the notable achievements of Karl Mullen’s rugby career was leading the Ireland national rugby union team to their first-ever Grand Slam victory in the Five Nations Championship in 1948. The Grand Slam occurs when a team wins all of its matches in the tournament, beating each of the other teams. Mullen’s leadership during this successful campaign is a significant part of Irish rugby history.
Karl Mullen passed away on October 26, 2009, leaving a lasting legacy in Irish rugby.
