Evergreen stars of 2006/07 still leading the way for Erin's Own
Kieran Murphy, Erin's Own fires over a point from play against Carrigtwohill in the 2015 Cork SHC. Picture: Larry Cummins
Twenty years on, Shane and Kieran “Hero” Murphy are still there. Still togging out, still showing the way.
Both were 17 when Erin’s Own lost the millennium senior county final to Newtownshandrum. Shane remains on the team, although a first-half injury curtailed his contribution in the quarter-final win over Sarsfields, while Kieran has been drafted from the bench.
Over half a dozen or so of the club’s fine back-to-back SHC winning team of 2006 and ‘07 remain on the panel. “Shay (Bowen), Patrick Fitzgerald, Stephen Cronin, the Hero, the Bear (Eoghan, Kieran’s brother), Shane Murphy…” manager Martin Bowen lists with pride. “There’s seven or eight of them still playing.”
But for their dedication to the club, Bowen knows where Erin’s Own would be and it wouldn’t be the premier senior hurling championship never mind the semi-final. “Kieran Murphy and Shane Murphy’s contribution are invaluable. My own son Shay in goal has been playing with half a leg for the last 15 years. He broke his ankle and shinbone in 2003 I think and what he goes through to play is a lot. Many of the guys have done a lot of things to play for this team but they just love their hurling.
“We had a very successful under-age team back in the early 2000s when we won four U21s and three or four minors. But since then the whole thing has dried up and we have had very few players coming through.
"We’ve been playing second or third level hurling in the under-age grades so it’s difficult to bring lads up to senior level because it’s such a big step up.
Bowen admits the team have exceeded their own expectations this year. Their inclusion in the new premier SHC championship had been based on their previous four seasons. Had it been on the back of 2019 when they lost to Charleville and Kanturk both of whom were regraded to senior A, things could have been dicey.
“We know we don’t have the best team in the championship, we know we don’t have the best hurlers but we have a great fighting spirit,” insists Bowen.
“At the start of the year, we were fearful of being in a relegation battle and have some very senior guys who have played for the club for 20 years and given unbelievable service. We have young fellas too and we’re trying to bring them in and get them to gel so we’re happy with our progress.”
Defiance has marked so much of Erin’s Own passage to the last four. Beating fancied Sarsfields in additional time and their comeback against Newtownshandrum were incredible feats but the building blocks were formed in their opening day defeat to Blackrock.
“Against Blackrock, we were totally outplayed for most of the game and there is no point in saying otherwise. I think we were down by 11 points at one stage but the spirit of the fellas came into and they fought and fought their way back and they were a bit unlucky in the end not to catch them.
“We’re not fools - we saw where the bookies had us at the start of the championship and we see where they have us now. As far as we’re concerned, we had to look at every game as if it was a county final, as if it were our last match. That’s the way we’ve gone and hopefully that policy will work again for us on Saturday.”
Bowen has no problem in directing the praise for that never-say-attitude to his coach, Waterford man Donal O’Rourke.
“He’s brought huge belief into the squad and that’s probably the most important thing. His hurling coaching is the best around, as far as I’m concerned. I think he’s one of the best coaches in Munster but I don’t want to say it too loud in case somebody comes after him. He has fresh ideas every night he comes to training.
“After the first week when the lads saw what he was doing, they bought in 100% into it. He has got unbelievable commitment from the players.
"He’s young, he’s not long after retiring himself, he did a very successful job with the Waterford camogie team and he was a guy I was keeping an eye because I was aware of his abilities with my own son being involved with them as well. Look, he’s been a breath of fresh air.”
The momentum from that Sarsfields game should provide an advantage to Erin’s Own but Bowen isn’t keen to claim much as they face last year’s runners-up Glen Rovers.
“The Glen, there’s no better team to manage this situation than the Glen. I know they had a challenge game last weekend. They were in the final last year and maybe should have won it. Their performances over the last four or five years have been very consistent, they’re there or thereabouts every year.
“Their tradition is a huge thing as well and they’re used to winning at this level. We don’t have the tradition of the Glen and I don’t think them not having a quarter-final will make the slightest bit of difference. In fact, they’re probably fresher so it doesn’t come into play.”
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