‘The Doc’ lines out for his 25th All-Ireland clash

He’ll line out in his 25th All-Ireland final for his county on Sunday, but he’s never hit a ball in Croke Park. Dr Con Murphy, doyen of GAA medics, has been on the sideline for the Cork hurlers and footballers since 1976, when a chance encounter on a Saturday night led to a lifetime of sporting memories.

The doctor was asked by a county board official if he’d look after the hurlers for their first-round Munster SHC clash with Tipperary that season, and he’s been there since.

‘The Doc’, as he’s known the length and breadth of the country, has seen it all with the red and white of Cork — from the three hurling titles in a row during the ’70s, to the long-awaited football victory of 1983.