Cork's hero of '83 Tadhg Murphy: 'It is time to pass on the baton to a new generation'

Left, Cork wing-forward Tadgh Murphy celebrates scoring his side's winning goal in the 1983 Munster final and right, Mark Keane celebrates after his dramatic winner on Sunday.

Tadhg Murphy has in his own words enjoyed ‘plenty of mileage’ for the goal he scored in the embers of the 1983 Munster SFC final to clinch victory for Cork and shatter Kerry’s bid for record ninth Munster title in-a-row.

So who better to assess Mark Keane’s late, late strike which ended the Kingdom’s involvement in the 2020 championship in the most dramatic of circumstances in Páirc Uí Chaoimh on a wet Sunday evening.

“If Mark gets mileage out of his goal as I have over the last 37, then I’ll be very happy for him,” Murphy said with a laugh.

“Maybe it is time to pass on the baton to a new generation.” 

Murphy had a sense of history repeating itself long before Keane’s dramatic intervention.

“What was going through my head in the final seconds? Luke Connolly launched the kick and Cork needed a score. It looked like he was going for a point but the ball went higher than normal and it was just hanging there.

“And talk about having the right man under the ball! We knew that Mark Keane has great hands but he showed he had very quick feet as well to get the shot off.

“It was a bit similar to my own in that it was a long ball which came so late in the game.” 

 But was it as good as your finish from Tadgh O’Reilly’s delivery?

“I think I’d have to give him that accolade,” laughed Murphy. “Today is his day.” 

 There were some other little strands of history repeating itself on this November weekend. Murphy’s goal also came on a day of torrential downpour which at one stage left question marks over whether the game could be played.

Both games were referred by Tipperary men: Ardfinnan’s Derek O'Mahoney was the man in the middle today with John Moloney of Bansha on the whistle on the day of Murphy’s dramatic intervention.

Murphy continued: “But I am thrilled for Ronan and the boys. I know how much work that they put into it. What struck me during the game was their workrate. It was incredible from the first whistle. They never, ever gave up. 

"They refused to let Kerry settle. Watching the game on television, I had this sense throughout that Cork were going to produce something special. Kerry could never shake them off. And I think that was due to the belief and resolve that Ronan has instilled in this squad. It just seemed that they knew that this was going to be their day. And that is why they refused to give up even when it looked beyond them.” 

No silverware was on offer in Páirc Uí Chaoimh but Murphy hopes that this squad will be climbing presentation steps in November - and December.

“I hope today’s win will give them a huge boost. If Cork can get over Tipperary in the Munster final in two weeks time I think that they could keep going and going. I saw the Dubs on Saturday night and I don’t think that they are the force that they were. The further that this Cork team goes, the more and more they will believe in themselves.”