Career
He stood again for Clann na Poblachta at the 1957 general election, but his vote had fallen significantly and he was again unsuccessful. As Clann na Poblachta declined in support in the late 1950s, Coughlan joined the Labour Party and was elected as a Labour candidate at the 1961 general election taking his seat in the 17th Dáil. He was returned to Dáil Éireann at the next three elections, but lost his seat at the 1977 general election to a former Labour party running-mate, Michael Lipper, who stood as an independent.
He welcomed the controversial Springbok tour to Limerick in 1970, much to the chagrin of the Labour Party and the local Limerick City Labour chairman Jim Kemmy.