Backroom boys are vital — JBM

CORK’S new senior hurling manager Jimmy Barry Murphy says his top priority is to get “a strong backroom team” in place ahead of next season.

Barry-Murphy’s return to intercounty management has been welcomed on Leeside, and he said yesterday that it had “never entered my mind” that he might be donning the bainisteoir bib again.

“The first thing is to say how thrilled I am to be back with Cork,” said the Cork legend.

“To be honest, it’s an honour that I never thought would come round my way again, and I’m delighted.

“It’s also important to me to pay tribute to Denis [Walsh] as the outgoing manager and to his backroom team and the players who were there for the last couple of years. They were very unlucky not to collect silverware on a couple of occasions, and my aim will be to try to continue the good work that they have started.

“It genuinely never entered my mind that I might go back as manager. I go to matches all the time anyway, and I didn’t rule out maybe making some contribution to Cork hurling at some stage in the future, but management wasn’t on my mind.”

Barry-Murphy acknowledged that the game has moved on considerably since 2000 but stressed that he intended to avoid the pitfalls of his first period in management, when advances in team preparation had caught him unawares.

“There’s a difficult job ahead because I suppose you have some players who may be reaching the end of their careers, while others are just starting out. The challenge is to blend both of those to get the best out of the team as a whole and I’m looking forward to that.

“Obviously the game has moved on in all sorts of ways since I was last involved back in 2000, but by getting the right people around me in terms of the backroom team I hope not to make the mistakes I made when I took over last time.”

In that context the St Finbarr’s clubman reiterated the importance of a strong backroom team.

“I couldn’t stress how important that is, to have a strong backroom team in place, and that’s my top priority at the moment. It’s essential to have the right people working with you and I’d hope to have them all in place sooner rather than later.”

Having led Cork to an against-the-odds All-Ireland title in 1999, Barry-Murphy concluded on a hopeful note for Rebel supporters.

“People might be a bit pessimistic in Cork at the moment but I think there are encouraging signs there. In the two last years, for instance, the U21 hurlers have given some very good performances under Ger Fitzgerald as manager.

“So in that sense there are positive signs for the future and we’ll be hoping to build on those going forward.”

Barry-Murphy’s first stint as manager began in 1996, when Cork lost heavily to Limerick. Incremental progress over the following two seasons reached a climax with the All-Ireland title in 99. The team added a Munster title in 2000 before a surprise defeat against Offaly in the All-Ireland semi-final led to Barry-Murphy retiring.

His appointment will come before the Cork County Board for formal ratification at the meeting scheduled for September 6th.

Who will JBM pick for his backroom team?

Former team-mates

BARRY MURPHY may opt to recruit someone who stood in the trenches with him in the past to man the sideline. In 1984, he won an All-Ireland senior medal with Cork alongside Ger Cunningham, Pat Hartnett and Johnny Crowley. That trio could come into the frame with Cunningham working alongside several members of the current Cork squad as a selector during the 2005-’06 period. Tom Cashman, who he played with in 1984, is also a possibility.

Members of the 1996-2000 Cork set-up

DURING Barry Murphy’s previous incarnation as Cork senior hurling boss, the contribution of physical trainer Ted Owens was regarded as a key element in their success as they claimed Liam MacCarthy Cup honours in 1999. Barry Murphy could draft Owens into that role once more while star figures from that era, Brian Corcoran and Joe Deane, would be innovative appointments as selectors and are players Barry Murphy has a strong relationship with.

Leading lights on the club scene

MIDLETON man Sean O’Brien is a well-respected coach at club level, having been involved with several teams around the county. He guided Blarney to All-Ireland IHC club honours in February 2009 and before that led Cork to All-Ireland intermediate titles in 2001 and 2003. Paul O’Connor, who has been at the helm of Inniscarra and Na Piarsaigh in recent years, could also come into the frame and he has trained a chunk of the Cork squad at Fitzgibbon Cup level with UCC. In March 2009, he guided the college to success in the premier third-level competition.

Words: Fintan O’Toole