Barry Murphy's flexibility and form a sign of Limerick's deepened hand for 2025 tilt

ALL-ROUNDER: Barry Murphy of Limerick plays on after his helmet came off, as Alan Connolly of Cork gives chase. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Right now, his redeployment is a necessary piece of improvisation. In time, improvisation might well become ingenious.

Heads were turned at the end of last month when Barry Murphy was named at corner-back for Limerick’s League opener. 

Heads were further turned by how well Murphy fared during that opener. A near-flawless corner-back debut.

There were 62 minutes on the clock at Páirc Uí Chaoimh when the 27-year-old had his first misstep of the evening. Darragh Fitzgibbon caught a Patrick Collins delivery in his company, Murphy fouled, and the resultant free was converted.

For the previous hour, he had dealt assuredly with every single delivery sent into his orbit. Indeed, the sole first-half occasion where Alan Connolly stole away from him was when the Rockies forward plucked possession from a ruck in injury-time. 

But when the subsequent opportunity came to nought, who was there to mop up and make amends only Murphy.

A scoreless Connolly was substituted on 58 minutes. A job well done by the rookie No.4. The job was better again next time out against Tipperary.

Corner-forward Darragh Stakelum won the opening ball put in between himself and Murphy. Stakelum’s attempted pass failed and Murphy cleared. Thereafter, Stakelum didn’t get one red cent of change off him. He wasn’t an outlier. Seán Kenneally had a goal chance denied. Gearóid O’Connor had possession flicked away from him.

Seven Limerick points began with Murphy that afternoon. Within that, he was fouled for two, assisted for two more, and had a secondary assist for another.

Across two rounds and two-and-a-half hours of hurling, the Fitzgibbon foul is the sole white flag to come off him. That’s impressive going for any corner-back, never mind someone who hadn’t ever played in the position before February 1.

27-year-old Murphy started four League games last spring and came on in a fifth. He operated at midfield each time. And midfield isn’t even where his Limerick chapter began.

Go back to last month two years ago and Murphy wore No.14 for Limerick’s pre-season Munster League campaign. 

Go further back to his Munster championship debut of 2018 where he replaced corner-forward Graeme Mulcahy and grabbed Limerick’s sole goal of a six-point win over Tipp.

In sum, he’s travelled the length of the field. 

Of course, such reinvention is nothing new on John Kiely’s watch. 

Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, and Barry Nash travelled the same road before him.

In search of regular game-time - Murphy didn’t feature during last summer's failed five-in-a-row bid - he’ll go wherever there’s an opportunity.

“So many fellas are adaptable, flexible. It is just the way the game of hurling is going. Whatever jersey I get, if it is No. 1, 15, 4, it doesn't matter. I am just happy to put my best foot forward and try to represent the jersey as best as I can,” he said when collecting man-of-the-match honours after the aforementioned Tipp league victory.

Two former Limerick teammates, TJ Ryan and Stephen McDonagh, are split on Murphy’s prospects of holding onto that No.4 shirt when two-time All-Star Nash returns to the fray. The latter hasn’t lined out in green since last June’s Munster final.

“Barry Murphy is a real find [at corner-back],” TJ said on the most recent episode of the Irish Examiner hurling podcast.

“There'd be a question mark around Seanie Finn and Mike Casey, can they stand up to the rigours? Close games in the championship, if they break down, so [management] wanted to bolster the full-back line. They picked Barry. He has really taken to the position.

“His use of the ball is well above your average, normal corner-back. It is a nice option for them to have. The question will arise: Does Barry Nash go back into No.4? Would you look at Barry Nash in a forward position, as in a No.7?” 

As impressive as the Doon clubman has been, former corner-back Stephen McDonagh struggles to see Nash being shifted from his ball-playing, out-in-front, and off-the-shoulder No.4 role.

“Barry Murphy is coming off a really good campaign with Doon where he played centre-back. He's hurling confidently because of that campaign,” McDonagh noted.

“If he continues as he's going, he'll be a live candidate come championship. I'd say when all is said and done, John Kiely will find it hard to move Nash from No.4. You have Colin Coughlan playing well at No.7, so where do you move Barry [Nash] to? Midfield is congested with the options already there.” 

Starting or not, McDonagh sees Murphy's flexibility and his form as evidence of Limerick’s deepened hand for their 2025 comeback bid.

“It looks as if Limerick's panel is going to be a good bit stronger than last year.”