'Corkness' has inspired Brian Barry-Murphy, as Cardiff going up

The Bluebirds boss saw his side secure second last weekend.

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026 - 21:10

James Whelan

Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy admits his ‘Corkness’ has been with him throughout his football career in the UK – and it may well have helped him guide the Bluebirds back to the Championship next season.

The Welsh outfit earned promotion from League One with a 3-1 win at Reading last weekend, before taking the acclaim of their fans with a midweek victory over Port Vale.

It marks the culmination of a hugely successful first term at Cardiff – and the former Rochdale and Man City academy coach says growing up watching successful Cork teams had a last impact on him and his career.

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“Back then Cork were winning every year so it was very unusual for them not to win something,” Barry-Murphy told RTÉ Radio’s Inside Sport.

“So I suppose the older you get the more you become aware that that isn’t normal. Winning trophies or promotion is quite rare. But in the ‘80s and ‘90s and early noughties, Cork won things all the time. That ‘Corkness’ of being quite cocky and always expecting to win things has been with me from an early age.

“But as we learn when we get older, it isn’t always the way.”

"There was always an expectation I was going to play hurling because of my father [Cork legend, Jimmy] and I loved everything to do with Cork hurling and Cork football,” he continues. “I always felt when I played soccer it was a chance for me to go a little under radar and do my own things. That manifested itself when I came to England, I was very much an unknown. Then people would find out about Jimmy and you're back into hurling talk."

After earning a move from Cork City to Preston North End, Barry-Murphy forged a career with clubs like Sheffield Wednesday and Bury before ‘falling into’ management. Promotion to the championship is a welcome new line on his impressive CV.

"When you're anticipating something happening you're never quite sure it is going to happen, and then when it actually does happen it felt a bit surreal in the moment last Saturday," he said of Cardiff final clinching a top-two finish.

"It has been a pretty indescribable few days. The players enjoyed themselves on Saturday and Sunday, some maybe on Monday. We had a game on Wednesday so that was a healthy distraction for us. The more experience you get the more awareness you have that these moments don't come around to often, so you have to appreciate and stay in the moment for as long as possible.

"I'm blessed with an incredible team and some brilliant players which makes me look good more often than not. I feel very lucky and genuinely lucky to be at such a great club.