Murphy, Tony
January 06, 2005
The Late Tony Murphy
Down through the years, the Carberry Rangers Club has produced a host of outstanding footballers, who have worn the green and gold with pride and distinction, but during the past forty years, one name has stood out above all others.
For sheer class, dependability, commitment and outstanding service, the name of Tony Murphy will always hold a hallowed place in the annals of Rosscarbery GAA. Those of us privileged to watch his long and glorious career, to see him in full flight exhibiting all the skills of a class footballer, to experience his outstanding sportsmanship and to have played against him, will always testify to his right to be included among the list of great forwards produced in the Carbery division. Any story on football in West Cork would be incomplete without paying tribute to this marvellous Carbery Ranger.
Tony was lucky when he entered Ross primary school, as the headmaster was none other than the great Jimmy McCarthy, who had won county senior medals in Dublin with the teacher training college side, Erin's Hopes, and in Cork with Carbery in 1937. Jimmy was to remain a staunch GAA man all his long life and he instilled in his pupils not only the basic skills of Gaelic football, but a great love for the game as well. In the early 'sixties Tony Murphy was one of his most promising pupils and went on to star on the Ross minor team that won three in a row, in 1966, 1967 and 1968.
As a member of the Cork minor team in 1968, he won his first All-Ireland medal when Cork beat Sligo by 3-5 to 1-10, with Tony scoring three points. All during the 'seventies, he was the star act in a Ross team that promised to end the long, barren junior A spell, but ended up losing the SW finals of 1973, 1975 and 1978.
There was compensation in the Carbery jersey that he wore with distinction for many years, when he won a county senior medal in 1971 against U.C.C.. In 1973, he scored eight points in the final, against U.C.C. again, but Carbery lost by 3-9to 1-10.
After winning his All-Ireland minor medal in 1968, Tony graduated to the Cork U21 side, with whom he won a Munster medal in 1969 and All-Ireland medals in 1970 and 1971, in the company of great footballers like Donal Hunt, Declan Barron, Kevin Kehily, Denis Long, Con Hartnett, John Coleman, Jimmy Barrett and Brian Murphy. In 1970 he also won a Munster junior medal and in 1971 was on the senior selection.
Another All-Ireland came his way, when Cork juniors beat Galway and Hertforshire in 1972. Five Munster medals and three All-Ireland medals in four short years was a marvellous achievement for a player who was still only 22 and he was involved with the Cork senior team that won the All-Ireland in 1973.
Tony's proudest moment in the Ross jersey came in 1980, when the junior A team ended a forty-year barren spell by winning the SW title and Tony's scores (0-6 in the final) were vital all through that successful campaign. In Centenary Year, 1984 he added a second medal and won the 'man of the match' award against Clann na nGael in the final, scoring seven points.
In 1987 came the third junior A medal, but his hopes of winning a county junior title with his native Ross were dashed in the county final when Rockchapel beat the Rangers by 2-5 to 1-4. It was probably the most disappointing defeat of his long and illustrious career. He also won numerous SW junior league medals with league specialists, Carbery Rangers.
When Tony hung up his boots, he took up coaching of under-age Ross teams and achieved great success on the side-line. He naturally, moved up the line to the adult teams and was a vital member of the management team that led the juniors to their first ever county title in 2003.
He was again, a selector on the intermediate team in 2004 before illness laid him low. A golfer of outstanding ability, he was also a lover of nature and, in particular, loved his native Rosscarbery. To say a whole community was shattered at his untimely death would be a gross understatement.
Tony Murphy, a Ranger of rare quality, taken from us at too early an age and surely a certainty for whatever team of All-Stars they here in the Kingdom of St. Peter.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.
Courtesy of the Southern Star
6th January 2005
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