He played hurling with his local club St Finbarr's and was a member at senior level of the Cork county team from 1962 until 1968.
[2] After St Finbarr's lost the 1967 county final to Glen Rovers, the club recovered to reach the championship decider again the following year.
After an unsuccessful stint with the minors, Doolan made his senior debut for Cork in a National Hurling League game against Tipperary in 1963.
In spite of this a hat-trick of goals by Colm Sheehan gave Cork a merited 3-9 to 1-10 victory over an Eddie Keher-inspired Kilkenny.
That year his province turned the tables on Leinster and a 0-14 to 0-10 victory gave Doolan a Railway Cup winners' medal.