Their finest hours: When Healy, Murray and O'Mahony shone brightest

Landmark moments in the Ireland careers of departing trio

EXITS: Conor Murray, Cian Healy and Peter O'Mahony. Pic: Sportsfile

Cian Healy 

First cap: v Australia, Autumn International, Aviva Stadium, Dublin - November 15, 2009 

50th cap: v Wales, Six Nations, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff - March 14, 2015 

100th cap: v France, Six Nations, Stade de France, Paris - October 31, 2020 

Highlight: Longevity is a fundament component to becoming Ireland’s most capped Test player and Healy’s standout moments in international rugby span the entirety of his career in a green jersey. He was man of the match when Ireland famously beat Australia in their 2011 World Cup pool game at Auckland’s Eden Park but perhaps his crowning achievement was being an integral part of Ireland’s Six Nations grand slam in 2018. 

Having made a comeback from a career-threatening neck injury to contributing at the coalface of a championship clean sweep, across all five games – four of them starts – tells you all you need to know about the loosehead prop’s worth to the national side.

Conor Murray 

First cap: v France, World Cup warm-up, Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux – August 13, 2011 

50th cap: v South Africa, Third Test, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth, June 23, 2016 

100th cap: v South Africa, Autumn Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Dublin – November 5, 2022.

Highlight: Murray’s best performance in green arguably came on one of Irish rugby’s greatest days, at Chicago’s Soldier Field on November 5, 2016 as the national team defeated New Zealand for the first time in 111 years. The scrum-half was outstanding that day as Ireland outscored the back-to-back world-champion All Blacks by five tries to four in a 40-29 victory, eclipsing opposite number Aaron Smith and capping an epic display with a superb snipe from the side of a ruck to elude Beauden Barrett and claim his side’s third try on 34 minutes.

Peter O’Mahony 

First cap: v Italy, Six Nations, Aviva Stadium, Dublin - February 25, 2012.

50th cap: v Australia, Allianz Stadium, Sydney - June 23, 2018.

100th cap: v Scotland, World Cup pool game, Stade de France, Paris – October 7, 2023.

Highlight: O’Mahony may say getting booed off at Murrayfield in this month’s Six Nations victory over Scotland but amongst the many tours de force in green, including a game-leading 19 tackles last time out in Wales, his turn as a late replacement to start in place of Jamie Heaslip in the final game of the 2017 championship was breathtaking. Heaslip had pulled up with a hamstring issue in the warm-up at Aviva Stadium for the clash with grand slam-chasing England. O’Mahony was promoted to blindside flanker with CJ Stander replacing the stricken Heaslip and it was the number six who stole the show with an 80-minute performance of pure lineout menace to derail English hopes of a clean sweep, including a crucial steal seven minutes from time as Ireland prevailed 13-9, and book his place on that summer’s Lions tour to New Zealand.