Goalkeepers rarely receive the recognition they deserve in the League of Ireland, but Mark McNulty is one of those rare figures.
Mark McNulty was born in Cork on 13 October 1980 and began his football journey playing as a striker for his local side Ballincollig AFC before he eventually converted to stopping goals rather than scoring goals. 2001 was when Mark McNulty made his breakthrough into the League Of Ireland pyramid when he joined Cobh Ramblers for 2 years.
2003 is when McNulty made the move to Cork City where he played for the u21 side for the first 2 years of his stay. 2005 is when McNulty made his breakthrough into the Cork City senior team in a year where the Rebel Army won the league title McNulty made 3 appearances. Over the course of the next 4 season McNulty would go on to make 24 appearances as he continued to learn and develop his trades with other Cork City goalkeepers such as Micheal Devine and Phil Harrington.
By 2010, amid Cork’s financial struggles and subsequent First Division campaign, McNulty established himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, appearing in 33 league matches as City finished sixth. That marked the beginning of his era between the sticks at Turners Cross.
In 2011, Cork City secured promotion back to the Premier Division and McNulty continued to impress between the posts making 29 appearances. As Cork City returned to the Premier Division, McNulty became an ever-present figure. Between the 2012 and 2013 seasons McNulty would only miss 5 games across the 2 seasons. Under John Caulfield, he played in all 33 league games in 2014, earning the SWAI Goalkeeper of the Year award as City finished runners-up to Dundalk.
During the 2014 and 2015 seasons, McNulty played every single games for Cork City where they finished second on both occasions to Dundalk. McNulty was in between the posts for the FAI Cup final in 2015 on the night when Dundalk clinched the domestic double thanks to a Richie Towell goal.
2016 would bring nicer memories of the FAI Cup however, as Cork City would get revenge on Dundalk thanks to a late Seanie Maguire winner in extra time.
The 2017 campaign would be the most memorable for Mark McNulty, Only missing 1 game as Cork City got back to the top of the League Of Ireland mountain and made it even better when they clinched the domestic double with McNulty proving to be the hero in the penalty shootout which Cork City won 5-3.
His final match for Cork came on 21 October 2022, concluding a 17-year senior career at Turners Cross that bridged eras and defined an identity for one of Irish football’s most historic clubs.
Mark McNulty’s Trophy Cabinet
-
League of Ireland Premier Division Champion with Cork City in 2005 and again in 2017
-
FAI Cup winner in 2016 and part of the historic 2017 league and cup double — Cork City’s first double in history.
-
2011 PFAI First Division Team Of The Year
- 2014 PFAI Premier Division Team Of The Year
Across nearly two decades at Cork City, McNulty became a figure of remarkable durability and professionalism. He recorded over 480 league appearances for the club. Beyond statistics, McNulty’s influence came through his presence: organising from the back, commanding his area with quiet authority, and often carrying the team through moments when fine margins mattered. Teammates leaned on his experience, while supporters recognised his unwavering commitment to the Rebel Army.
McNulty isn’t just one of Cork City’s great goalkeepers, he is 1 of the great League Of Ireland goalkeepers. Mark McNulty is this weeks Airtricity/Eircom Man.