I miss all the inter-county buzz, admits Juliet Murphy
Murphy, renowned as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, retired after the 2013 All-Ireland final but is preparing to don her boots again this morning when Cork IT take on St Patrick’s College in the Giles Cup semi-final in Tralee (11.30am).
Murphy took a year out of teaching to undertake a Masters at CIT, where she’s involved in Project Spraoi, a strategy to improve nutrition and increase physical activity in school children.
The Project Spraoi idea originated from a similar venture in New Zealand, Project Energize, which produced wholly positive results. “So much so, that it’s a Government-funded project there as a result,” Murphy explains.
Murphy has previously tasted Giles Cup glory with Mary Immaculate College but despite her glittering array of honours, she never got to compete in the top third-level competition, the O’Connor Cup. She reflects: “I’m just glad to be part of it and I never longed for the O’Connor Cup or thought about it, to be very frank. I never thought about anything in terms of it being anything than just college football.”
Murphy does sometimes pine for the days when she strode effortlessly through numerous midfield battles in the red shirt of Cork.
She’s been out of the inter-county game for the past two seasons, as the Rebels claimed back to back All- Ireland titles, and Murphy revealed: “I probably miss it more now than the first year I left. I missed it more than I thought I would. It’s just the enormity of it, meeting your friends, having that expression.
“An hour or two later, heading home from training, you’d invariably feel better.
“I miss the interaction with the team and it was a huge part of my life but I’ve moved on and other things have taken its place.
“You get to a stage in life where you’re questioning a little bit more about what you’re doing and how you’re spending your time.
“Younger girls were coming in and they had an awful lot to offer. I had that feeling my time was nearing the end. I don’t regret my decision at all, I just miss it.
“That’s why college football has been great – it’s that rapport with the girls and the management that’s very nice. And it’s a fun environment too, which has been great.”
Murphy, naturally, still keeps a close eye on Cork’s fortunes and while there has been a natural period of adjustment from 10-time All-Ireland winning manager Eamonn Ryan to his successor Ephie Fitzgerald, she believes the team will be competitive again this year.
“The early losses in the league can be attributed to the fact that they didn’t have a lot of training done,” Murphy says.
“They had a later start and it’s probably a big adjustment for the girls. I still see them as having huge potential again.”
Murphy will hope to claim another notable medal over the next two days in Tralee.
