Joe Murphy (hurler)

Joe Murphy (1947–2009) was an Irish hurler who played as a midfielder for the Cork senior team.^[1]

Murphy joined the team during the 1969 championship and was a regular member of the starting fifteen until he left the panel after the 1970 championship. During that time he won one Munster medal. An All-Ireland runner-up on one occasion, Murphy also won a set of All-Ireland and National Hurling League medals as a non-playing substitute.

At club level Murphy played with Passage West.

Playing career

Inter-county

Murphy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Cork under-21 team in 1968 and enjoyed immediate success. Tipperary were bested by 4-10 to 1-13 in the provincial decider to secure a Munster medal. MUrphy was later at midfield for the All-Ireland decider against Kilkenny. A 2-18 to 3-9 victory gave him an All-Ireland medal in that grade.

In 1969 Murphy joined the Cork senior team for the championship campaign. He was an unused substitute for Cork's Munster final defeat of Tipperary and was also part of the extended panel for an All-Ireland showdown with Kilkenny. The team suffered a setback before the game when midfielder Justin McCarthy broke his leg in a motorcycle accident. In spite of this Cork led at the interval and looked a good bet for the victory, particularly after Kilkenny forward Pat Delaney left the field on a stretcher. Murphy was introduced as a substitute as the Rebels were still to the good coming into the last quarter, however, Kilkenny scored five unanswered points in the last seven minutes to win by 2-15 to 2-9.

In spite of the All-Ireland defeat, Cork regrouped during the 1969-70 National League. Murphy was an unused substitute as an aggregate 5-21 to 6-16 defeat of New York in the decider gave Cork the National Hurling League title. Later that year he made his first championship start in a Munster semi-final defeat of Limerick and subsequently collected his first Munster medal following a 3-10 to 3-8 defeat of Tipperary. Cork later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Wexford providing the opposition in the very first eighty-minute championship decider. Murphy, in spite of starting Cork's other championship games, was dropped from the starting fifteen and played no part in the 6-21 to 5-10 victory.^[2]

Honours

Team

Cork

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship (1): 1970 (sub)
• Munster Senior Hurling Championship (2): 1969 (sub), 1970
• National Hurling League (1): 1969-70 (sub)
• All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 1968
• Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 1968

References