Murphy: Bally win ‘one of the best games I’ve seen’
The Ballymartle coach saw his team snatch national intermediate club glory against Dicksboro courtesy of an injury-time goal from Darren McCarthy in Croke Park on Sunday, in a game that he saw as a fitting instalment to the rich history of clashes between Cork and Kilkenny teams.
“What a way to win it. It was one of the best games I’ve seen in a long time. My father played in the Thunder and Lightning final of 1939 when Kilkenny beat them by a point.
“Then Cork beat Kilkenny in 1946 before Kilkenny beat them again by a point in 1947.
“That’s the tradition of Cork and Kilkenny, two great hurling counties. As a Cork man I was so proud on Sunday. Meelin and ourselves beat two Kilkenny teams to win All-Ireland titles. I accept that we were lucky but we’ve a fantastic will to win. We got the goal at the right time when Darren McCarthy empowered himself to step up to hit that long-range free.”
Murphy paid tribute to the standards set by their opponents and articulated what effect Sunday’s victory will have on the South-East club.
“Dicksboro won the Kilkenny minor and U21 championships lately and they’re a top class side. They had great players like Martin Gaffney and Paul O’Flynn. Then you’d Danny Kenny dominating at centre-back and Ollie Walsh had a huge impact as well. You’ve an ex-Kilkenny great like Ger Henderson on the sideline with them and then a former Kilkenny trainer in Mick O’Flynn involved as well.
“At times we struggled against their top class forwards, but we hung in there against all the odds. This’ll do wonders for Ballymartle hurling.
“You’ve a population of only 800 people but it means everything for us. People in Ballymartle are fanatical about their hurling. Sonny Mahony, an ex-Cork hurler, who’s 83 was there on Sunday.
Paddy Deasy another 83 year-old was supporting us. Brian Coleman’s grandmother is 93 and she came to the game. That’s what hurling means to these people, it was magical for them.”
Murphy was at the helm when Bishopstown claimed Cork intermediate honours in 2006 before falling short in Munster but on this occasion he revealed that Ballymartle were determined to thrive beyond their local competitions.
“Teams like Newtownshandrum have shown the way for small Cork clubs to go up to Croke Park and win.
“We were fanatical about winning it because we thought we’d never get the chance again.
“With Bishopstown in 2006, I was coaching them but unfortunately Clooney-Quin beat us in the Munster final. I know talking to Niall McCarthy that Carrigtwohill had regrets about how they did when they won the county title. Then Sean O’Brien, who was involved when Blarney won two years ago, was a great help to me as well before this game.
“To win this was huge. We got great support there from Cork hurling people beforehand. I got texts from the likes of Ger Cunningham, Johnny Crowley, Tom Harrington and Bishopstown senior players. There was great support there.”
For the remainder of 2011, Ballymartle’s ambitions revolve around the retention of their Cork county senior status.
“Everything else is a bonus. We’re playing a great club in Newtownshandrum in the first round of the Cork senior and we’ll look forward to that.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
