Murphy making every second count

After making himself noticed on Carrigaline teams which reached county minor football finals in 1995 and 1996, Nicholas Murphy found himself coming to the attention of Cork senior manager Larry Tompkins.

The teenager became a part of the panel for 1997, but his first exposure to senior championship football was not a pleasant one as he sat on the bench watching Martin Daly score the goal to give Clare a 2-13 to 1-14 win over Cork in a Munster semi-final at Cusack Park, Ennis.

It was not even the end of June, but the inter-county year was over.