Why the sporting world loves Jimmy Barry Murphy at 70

The great Jimmy Barry Murphy turned 70 today and the world responded accordingly, with a flood of tributes and fondness.

WE LOVE YOU:  Jimmy Barry Murphy of Cork during the GAA Munster Senior Hurling Championship Semi-final replay match between Cork and Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

The great Jimmy Barry Murphy turned 70 on Thursday and the world responded accordingly, with a flood of tributes and fondness.

In one sense, fondness seems the wrong word for JBM. A talent that huge demands words like awe and adulation and worship. It's true Jimmy inspires all those feelings too, particularly in Cork.