National Forum

Happy Retirement To Michael Murphy

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Thanks for everything Michael. You were fantastic. Enjoy the Inter County retirement and the upcoming nuptials - I wonder could we get a few offspring from you ?

donegalexile44 (Meath) - Posts: 10 - 17/11/2022 14:49:10    2447934

Link

Class act. One of the best ever. Pity he is stepping away. The shambles of the appointment process was the actual reason but that can't be said publicly.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7882 - 17/11/2022 15:01:48    2447936

Link

Replying To TheFlaker:  "Class act. One of the best ever. Pity he is stepping away. The shambles of the appointment process was the actual reason but that can't be said publicly."
Yes, i believe that the hierarchy were trying to dictate to Kavanagh what to do. Hence the reason he didn't take it.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 791 - 17/11/2022 15:49:43    2447947

Link

Donegal honour's list in the previous 125 years read one All Ireland and 5 Ulster titles. That doubled to 2 All Irelands and 10 Ulster titles in just nine short years under Michael's captaincy. A great leader and a superb footballer. Wishing him all the best for the future.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 503 - 17/11/2022 16:31:12    2447951

Link

Replying To Curlew66:  "Donegal honour's list in the previous 125 years read one All Ireland and 5 Ulster titles. That doubled to 2 All Irelands and 10 Ulster titles in just nine short years under Michael's captaincy. A great leader and a superb footballer. Wishing him all the best for the future."
And his club hadn't won a senior County title before he arrived. One of the best players I've seen in action.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3336 - 17/11/2022 16:40:03    2447953

Link

Thanks Michael. It's all been said. Hope to see another one in my lifetime. A man you'd go to war with. He'll be missed hugely.

TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1135 - 17/11/2022 16:57:53    2447956

Link

What a player. He had it all. On song he was unstoppable. No way do Donegal win the All Ireland in 2012 without him.

I don't think Donegal management used him to their best advantage in recent years. Was too deep when you needed him in towards goal.

His dad is a Ballina man who moved to Donegal with his work as a Garda. If only….;) anyway all the best to Michael in the future.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11225 - 17/11/2022 17:12:57    2447962

Link

Legend nothing more needs to be said. Probably the greatest to wear the green and gold of Donegal. No doubt gone too soon too but that's another debate.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 17/11/2022 17:29:07    2447965

Link

If ever there was a player I would've loved for my own county it's Michael Murphy.

A fantastic player, role model and leader. Without doubt the best player of his generation.

The greatest baller Donegal ever and will ever produce. He will be missed by all lovers of Gaelic Football.

Took a lot of abuse over the years but was well able to give it back in the nicest way possible.

I hope he plays for his club for years to come as I know how much he loves and cares for the Glenswilly community.

Best wishes in your intercounty retirement Michael, well deserved.

Kepak10 (Meath) - Posts: 162 - 17/11/2022 18:20:03    2447968

Link

Absolute legend, saw him all the way through his career, one hardy fella

cockneyrebel (UK) - Posts: 4 - 17/11/2022 18:36:27    2447970

Link

A legend of a player and great memories from watching him over the years. Won't be the same next year knowing he's not leading out the team,
Could do it all as people have already said but my memory will ho back to that great day Sept 2012 I was chatting to him in the wee hours in the Harcourt bar when the last great 14 we had was trying to get in and a security man holding him back, murphy took off and told the security man let Tony in as he was his hero, I just couldn't grasp the humility of the man after lifting Sam 10 hours earlier.

Tyrion (Donegal) - Posts: 159 - 17/11/2022 20:30:39    2447981

Link

Replying To highdropingball:  "He got dogs abuse ifrom opponents of the ball with no protection from officals tough man"
All great players get dogs abuse off the ball, and he was one of the greats. Dragged Donegal through a lot of games. There'll be plenty of defenders sleeping easier now.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2003 - 17/11/2022 20:44:18    2447984

Link

Replying To Kepak10:  "If ever there was a player I would've loved for my own county it's Michael Murphy.

A fantastic player, role model and leader. Without doubt the best player of his generation.

The greatest baller Donegal ever and will ever produce. He will be missed by all lovers of Gaelic Football.

Took a lot of abuse over the years but was well able to give it back in the nicest way possible.

I hope he plays for his club for years to come as I know how much he loves and cares for the Glenswilly community.

Best wishes in your intercounty retirement Michael, well deserved."
Yeah he's a great club man as well. He had a great understanding with big Neil Gallagher. Neil was a very underated footballer. People saw this big man who could fetch high kickouts but he had a serious football brain too. Himself and Murphy upset many a team over the years. Neil would look up and know exactly how and where Murphy wanted the ball and well...you know the rest.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9103 - 18/11/2022 08:46:17    2447996

Link

Nobody comes close to Michael in the history of Donegal football in terms of the whole package. Maybe there have been a few players with talent like him (but not many), and maybe there's been one or two leaders through the years with a similar mindset, but nobody put the two together to such a high level for so long as Michael did.

Very sad not to see him line out next year, reading his interview with Alan Foley I understand it more than I did when I first heard it. He gives 110% every training session from the depths of winter through to championship, he's not of the mindset to sit back and mind his body, so I understand it.

There have been plenty of plaudits and memories of the man both on the field and personal interactions and it's all true. I've seen some try and play down how good he was on other boards and social media but I think anyone fair minded realises we'll not see his like for a long time again. There's a handful of players like Michael and it's even rarer for them not to be at one of the traditionally more successful counties.

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 94 - 22/11/2022 09:59:25    2448389

Link

The very best wishes to the man on his retirement. I never had the pleasure to see Murphy play live, in the flesh. From whatever I saw of him on screen, he looked mighty; sometimes Donegal expected him to be two players at the same time, not just one, and sometimes it seemed like he was.

I don't think this is the last we'll see or hear of Michael Murphy…future GAA president perhaps? He has that carriage about him!

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1902 - 24/11/2022 15:23:15    2448627

Link