James 'Jas' Murphy, Kerry's oldest All-Ireland winning captain, has died aged 98
Former Kerry captain and retired Garda. Jas Murphy, pictured at a civic reception for the Garda Siochana hosted by the Lord Mayor at the City Hall, Cork in 2010 Picture: Eddie O'Hare
KERRY's oldest surviving All-Ireland winning captain passed away in Cork on Wednesday, at the age of 98.
Jas Murphy, a Tralee-born garda who led Kerry to a historic win over Armagh in the All-Ireland final in 1953, first played Gaelic football with Kerins O'Rahilly's.
He later lined out with the Garda club in Cork and was part of their 1950 County Championship winning team.
The stylish corner-back first appeared on the inter-county scene after declaring for the Cork senior football team in 1947.
After two seasons with his adopted team, he subsequently joined the Kerry senior football team in 1949.
"It was an unforgettable moment in my life when I walked up to accept the Sam Maguire Cup," Jas told Weeshie Fogarty, in an interview for Radio Kerry's Terrace Talk in 2008.
"However there was a bit of disappointment the following day when together with a few of the lads we missed the train home and the cup arrived back in the Kingdom without the captain.
"We then got the next train out of Dublin and caught up with the celebrations in Tralee later that night."
Murphy later became president of Nemo Rangers in Cork after moving to the Rebel County where he reached the rank of Detective Garda and based in Union Quay in Cork City from 1943 until his retirement in 1985.
Murphy's passing leaves Mick O'Connell, who captained Kerry to All-Ireland success in 1959, as the Kingdom's oldest living winning captain.
