Liam Murphy - The Derry man with a foot in the Down Camp The Glassdrumman team manager feels that the team with greatest hunger will win Sunday's encounter A thinking man's full back with a penchant for keeping his opponent cold for want of possession, Derry old boy Liam Murphy views the current football scene like a poacher would a full-blown salmon leaping towards him at a babbling brook. An Ulster man to the marrow, the former double Senior Provincial Championship medallist reckons that the time is ripe for the teams from the north of the country to ram home their collective superiority. Shooting from the hip in a way that conveys an intimate knowledge of the game he graced so well in the 'seventies, the former Oak Leaf county defender spells it out clearly and succinctly for Ulster's best, "you'll never have a better chance to grab an All-Ireland". Not that the Glassdrumman resident has any particular paranoia about missing boats, wasting opportunities or trodding on well- laid eggs. Truth is, Murphy's a realist, sees things as they are and engineers his thoughts accordingly. From his own memory bank of real-life experience of one time being there in the thick of things only to see ultimate glory snatched away from him and his Derry team mates, the affable Civil Engineer cannot but feel that this season is tailor made for the completion of a hat trick of All-Ireland wins for the province of Ulster. "Once again we're in an era which is an opportune time for teams from Ulster to win at least another All-Ireland. In general there's probably any one of eight teams in the country capable of winning this year's All-Ireland but three counties in Ulster I'd fancy to go the distance would be Down, Derry and Donegal. I'd leave Tyrone out of the equation simply because they've been hit with injuries, some of the younger players aren't quite gelling at the moment and overall the team seems to be missing a backbone of established Senior players", suggested the player who starred at right full back on the Derry team that stormed their way titles in 1975 and '76. A feeling of déjà vu seems to be the all-pervading vibes emanating from Liam Murphy's words of wisdom. He is, after all, speaking from a position of having been part of a team who were once on the threshold of All-Ireland glory, but who failed to grasp the nettle of opportunity as presented to them. For, according to Glasdrumman's current mentor, the Oak Leaf county ought to have tagged on additional and more prestige titles to their medal haul had it not been for a collection of variables. "Derry should have been winning All-Irelands in the seventies, I've no doubt about that. We lost a few players over the years but above all we were most unfortunate to come on to the scene at a time when Kerry had risen to prominence in 1975. they were the best of all time and had, in John Egan, for instance, the most brilliant footballer I ever seen. I couldn't see him for dust!". There is also that old red herren business as perceived by those non-Ulster natives which makes out that those up north exaggerate the stamina sapping properties of the Ulster Championship. Fact is, Liam Murphy reckons that while "All-Irelands were there for the taking after Down's triumph in '68" every team coming out of the province were burnt out by the time Croke Park was visited for the semi final tie. "For that reason too, Ulster counties missed the boat between 1968 and '75 but I hope they don't in this current era when there's such a level playing pitch". Liam Murphy's G.A.A. lineage is easily traced. His father Willie was a noted performer with Banagher and later on Dungiven. On the family from at the latter venue, all four Murphy brothers, Andy, Liam himself, George and Plunkett took to practising their gaelic football skills like penguin would to taking a dip in the Arctic sea. Part of the Saint Columb's Derry dominating College set up of the time, Liam swept onto the county Minor team in the company of other burgeoning Dungiven players such as Robbie Hasson, Sean Coyle and Gerard McGonigle. His path to Croke Park was already being laid and with the move to Queen's University later on, his football education went into fast forward. At Queens Murphy teamed up with other rising notables such as Anthony McGurk and Mickey Kelly of Derry and Armagh's Paddy Moriarity to clinch the 1971 Sigerson Cup title in deference to the challenge of Moss Keane's U.C.C. side. Murphy's class of '71 had thus bridged an eight year gap and equalled the feat of the Sean O'Neill powered Queens squad which went before them. The Dungiven dynamo's education was progressing extremely well. Significantly, those around him were equally studious and come season 1975/'76 the Derry school of excellence was sporting rare honoured talent. By the end of 1974, the Oak Leaf county's management squad had undergone a fairly substantial metamorphosis. The changes had been rung and in came the quintet of Frankie Kearney, Sean O'Connell, Liam Hinphey, Seamus Kelly and Patsy Breen. In came Liam Murphy too, as an able panellist to surprise nobody by starring in his debut match against Tyrone in Ballinascreen in a derby National Football League tie. It was a good time to be around the Derry camp. There was ample fire and passion about and no little skill as consistent G.A.A. observers would testify. From Derry's All-Ireland Under 21 winning squad of 1968 came a plethora of natural talent. Players like Anthony McGurk, Malachi McAfee, Peter Stevenson, Seamus Lagan and Dungiven's very own John Somers starred in their county's 3-9 to 1-9 win over Offaly in the All-Ireland decider. In addition, Liam Murphy's old pals from the Derry Ulster Minor winning sides of 1968 and '70, Mickey Moran, Eugene Laverty and Brendan Kelly for instance added youthful vigour and pace to the fold. The exciting, creative skills of 1974 Minors Gerry McIlhinny, Gabriel Bradley and Mickey Lynch were well received too by the increasingly expectant Derry support. Despite being employed in Belfast after graduating from Queen's University, Liam continued to commute back home each weekend in earnest toil for spirited but limited Dungiven. Victories over Down (1-6 to 2-6) in 1975 and after a replay (0-22 to 0-16) against Cavan the following year remain Liam Murphy's abiding memories but he's the first to acknowledge that those self same Derry squads didn't quite realise their potential. The weariness and harshness of life consistently led in the claustrophobic Ulster Championship series can often make rubber out of the steely resolve of even the most determined men as Liam explains. "Even back then in the mid-seventies, it was an extremely level playing pitch in Ulster and I remember us having to win four very tough matches in 1976 to win through. By the time we did eventually get to Croke Park, we were knackered. I often wondered if Kerry, for instance, had to go to Breffni Park and Newry and maybe on to Armagh would they have won so many All-Irelands". An undiluted advocate of the Open Draw system, Liam cites Derry's blatant over-confidence as being the source of the county's downfall against Armagh in the provincial Championship of 1977, a year in which they set out bidding for a magnificent hat-trick of Ulster titles. Joined by fellow Dungiven stalwarts, John Somers and Colm McGuigan on the Derry squad of the late seventies, Liam's intercounty days continued right through 'til 1979 by which time he had married Glassdrumman lass Carol McVeigh. Setting up Glassgiven Contracts Limited with partner William James Smith (current Glassdrumman G.F.C. Chairman) and helping to rear children Cormac, Sinead, Roisin and Clare would concentrate Murphy's mind thereafter to an equal degree but needless to say football matters continued to play an integral part in his life. An All-Star nominee in 1976 and a loyal servant of the Glassdrumman football cause on the field of play in latter years, Liam Murphy's heart remains with the cause of the Oak Leaf county. He'd dearly love to see his home county do the business next Sunday, Chairman of the development committee which saw them reap their reward last year with the opening of Glassdrumman Park, Liam rates Sunday's affair as "too close to call but midfield will be crucial". According to the Glassdrumman team manager, the team with the greater hunger will win out in the end and then go on to win out Ulster itself. His respect for the Down team is not easily masked though. "I think Down may have recaptured the spark they had in 1991 and that could spell danger for Derry. Down also look to be that wee bit sharper up front, they seem to posses more scoring forwards but then again Derry are a very determined bunch all round and especially in defence". Once a 5'11", twelve stone plus fighting fit stopper of the highest order, Glassdrumman club stalwart and high profile construction company boss Liam Murphy speaks of gaelic football matters with an eloquence that fairly equates with his erstwhile elegance on the playing field. Win, lose or draw at Newry on Sunday coming, the one-time Dungiven dynamo's thoughts made for interesting reading. Just like his forceful displays made for good viewing in times of yore! Written by the Hogan Stand Magazine 28.05.'93 Tweet

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