'The whole thing is about, ‘You might deserve one or be due one,’ but you have to go out and win it'

After three losses to Limerick this year including the pre-season game, Brian Murphy agrees breaking that pattern is vital.

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026 - 06:08

John Fogarty

Brian Murphy was understandably low after last July’s All-Ireland SHC final, but in his adopted home he was provided solace.

“A Kilkenny man said to me, ‘You know when that happened before that a team only got two points in the second half? It was 2004. Cork played Kilkenny, and Kilkenny only got two points in the second half. So, I was delighted with that bit of information,” smiled the former dual star.

It’s 43 years since four-time All-Ireland senior and All-Star winner Murphy moved from Cork to Kilkenny where he was stationed with An Garda Síochána.

A long-time officer and coach in O’Loughlin Gaels, he is well assimilated at this stage.

But the affairs of Murphy’s native shore are never far from his heart or mind, and he took great relief in seeing Cork begin to move away from their 2025 disappointment against Tipperary with that victory in Thurles last Sunday.

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“I think it was important, really, that they got the win. They've got to put that final in the back of their head and try and make amends this year.

“We were in the same position last year. Early on, we beat Tipp very well in the league final and very well in the championship. Next thing, you have this Paddy Power paying out in Cork. That was a bit of rubbish. That wasn't good from a Cork point of view.

“They played well all along the line. Next thing, you're in the final and you're fierce favourites. There's all this talk about, ‘Will Pat Horgan get his medal? This is Cork's one.’

“They've given Cork supporters some great enjoyment. The whole thing is about, ‘You might deserve one or be due one,’ but you have to go out and win it.

“I don't know what happened in the second half (v Tipperary). They were six points up at half-time. That was flattering, really, because I didn't think they should have been six. But you were happy going into the second half (thinking), ‘They're going to win this.’”

Murphy was also delighted to see the improvement in Cork’s performance from the Division 1A final defeat to Limerick two weeks earlier. The personal displays of championship debutants William Buckley and Barry Walsh pleased him most.

“Buckley, he’s not big, but he's able to get down and fight for the ball and has confidence to shoot. Walsh is that bit stronger. He made a couple of mistakes earlier on but got back into the game. Won possession gave ball out like as if he was on the team for a long time. He got great scores.”

After three losses to Limerick this year including the pre-season game, Murphy agrees breaking that pattern is vital.

“The more often you beat opposition, the better, really. So, I'd be hoping they'd have a good performance but Limerick, looking at them overall, they're a bit ahead. They're a bit ahead of everybody else.”

After shipping a second tanking by Galway in six weeks, Murphy knows Kilkenny are bruised.

“I never saw it happening with Kilkenny that the opposition were taking off players with 10 or 15 minutes to give players a run. So, it was the most awful performance.

“They'd be awful disappointed here because they're a proud hurling county. There was never a display like that, really. Next Saturday, a minefield against Wexford. Wexford always manage to play well against Kilkenny. Coming up to play Kilkenny here and putting another nail in the coffin if they could. So, it's a huge game for Kilkenny but they'll have to sort out the team. Maybe pick it a bit better.

“One of the things that happened in Galway, they (Kilkenny) were playing with the wind and they're tipping around in the backline. Cork can play a bit too much around the backs as well.”

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