Joe Murphy was euphoric after Carlow won their first football silverware at Croke Park on Saturday night.

The Éire Óg clubman managed the Barrowsiders to their first victory of any kind at GAA headquarters since 1971 when they trumped Longford by 1-24 to 2-18 after extra-time in a thrilling Allianz Football League Division 4 final.

“We haven’t got a tradition of winning in my lifetime, as a child, as a young man, as a player, as a manager, I’ve never won in Croke Park,” the Carlow boss told the assembled media.

“To change that statistic from a personal point of view is amazing but we didn’t feel the weight of that. Today was about having Carlow people leave this stadium with smiles on their faces, their chest sticking out and the flags flying rather than looking at the ground.”

Murphy felt having an all-Carlow management team made it all the sweeter.

“We didn’t need any outside influence to do this, we did this as Carlow people and to me that’s massive, and maybe it’s a lesson for the future,” he continued.

“It’s one thing that I really wanted to go with; a full Carlow backroom team, even down to the physio and the nutritionist, and the liaison officer.

“We’re all Carlow stock and now they can enjoy it and be proud of what they have contributed to it”.

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