Richard Moynan, who played once for Glmaorgan in 1898, was one of the great characters of club cricket in the years leading up to the Great War, with the master surgeon playing for several teams, most notably Cowbridge CC, in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Born in Ireland and educated at Dublin University and the Irish Royal College of Physicians, Richard moved to South Wales shortly after graduating in the early 1890s and initially worked at a practice in Pontypridd. In 1883 he married Emma Davies, the daughter of one of his colleagues, before spending a short period of time in Newport.

By the time of the 1891 Census, Richard was living in Cowbridge and it was in the market town in the Vale of Glamorgan that he spent the next thirty years, tending the sick and poorly, besides acting as Cowbridge’s surgeon. Given his upbringing in Southern Ireland, he had a love of hunting and other equine sports, and besides owning several racehorses, Dr. Moynan was also a member of the Glamorganshire Hunt and was a regular rider at local point-to-points.

He also took a liking to cricket, especially batting, and after some decent innings for the Cowbridge club, he made his Glamorgan debut in 1898 in their end of season Minor County encounter against Monmouthshire at Rodney Parade. Although never called upon again by the county selectors, Richard continue to mix his medical duties with playing for Cowbridge CC.

In 1898/99 Richard was appointed Mayor of Cowbridge, before being appointed Medical Health Officer for Cowbridge Borough in 1901. Soon afterwards, he became surgeon-lieutenant to the Glamorgan Yeomanry and acted as a medical advisor as events unfolded leading up to the start of the Great War.

Tragically in July 1917 Harold, one of his twin boys, was killed during the Third Battle of Ypres whilst serving with the South Wales Borderers. The loss of a treasured son was something from which the popular doctor never fully recovered and in 1921 he died of septic pneumonia.

MOYNAN, Dr. Richard Michael. 

Born – Tellamon, King’s County, Ireland, 1859.

Died – Cowbridge, 23 April,1921.     

Batting and Fielding Record  

	M	I	NO	RUNS	AV	100	50	CT	ST
MC Championship	1	1	0	4	4.00	–	–	–	–

Career-best performance  

Minor County Championship – 4 v Monmouthshire at Rodney Parade, Newport, 1898.