The Late Donie Murphy

Donie Murphy was of the same vintage, and on the 1951 Kerry team beaten by Mayo in the All-Ireland semi final. Two years later, in 1953, the Kilkenny man, adopted by Castlebar, won his only senior All-Ireland with his native county.
Born in Southhill on the outskirts of Killarney, he played with the local Legion GAA Club.
An outstanding underage player he won an All-Ireland inter-provincial medal with Munster Colleges, and an All-Ireland minor with the county in 1946.
That same year Donie collected a county senior championship medal with the Killarney Legion, and in 1951 won a similar medal with Dick Fitzgerald's Club.
He played his first senior Munster championship for Kerry against Clare in 1948, and might have won more than one senior All-Ireland if a serious illness had not forced him to quit inter county football at the age of 25.
Among his other souvenir are a Sigerson Cup medal won with UCG, and the distinction of being selected for the Combined Universities, and representing Ireland on another occasion against the universities.
After his illness he returned to club football, and played with the Legion for the last time in 1959. While working as an agricultural instructor in Kilkenny he was persuaded to don the local Clan na Gael jersey and won two county senior titles with them.
In the final chapter of a glistening career, his performances in Kilkenny were honoured with selection on the county's junior team, which reached the Leinster final.
Acclaimed by many Kerry footballers as one of the best corner backs they had seen, Donie Murphy provided young footballers in Castlebar with the benefit of his great knowledge and experience, and coached one of his teams to an U-21 title.
He received the Hall of Fame Award from Killarney Legion Club at a special function in 1993.
To the family of Donie Murphy our deepest sympathy.

Courtesy of The Mayo News
April 27th 2010 Tweet

Most Read Stories