Pictured is former Donegal Minor footballer, Michael Murphy, ahead of Sunday’s Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Final between Derry and Monaghan. In recognition of the major impact of playing Minor, this summer Electric Ireland is using their social channels to spotlight a player each week partaking in the Football, Hurling and Camogie Minor Championships. A Player of the Week is revealed weekly on Electric Ireland’s Twitter page (@electricireland). Later this year, Electric Ireland will celebrate the achievements of players from the Minor Championships through the Electric Ireland GAA and Camogie Minor Star Awards.
By Cian O’Connell
“Days like Croke Park last weekend, getting out around the pitch, it is a miss, but it is always tinted,” Michael Murphy responds instantly when asked does he miss the inter-county game.
Donegal will always matter deeply to Murphy, who has remained heavily involved with his club Glenswilly.
Watching the 2023 Allianz Football League, Ulster, and All-Ireland Championships unfold, Murphy craved involvement. “Even going to the Donegal games, seeing the Tyrone game and the Down game, being around there with everybody from Donegal, probably you'd love to be there, but it was always tinted,” he explains.
“It was always tinted because I know what is involved to get you there. When I wasn't doing that in October, November, December, January, February, March, and April, as much as it would have been lovely to throw yourself out there to do that, I was always lucky to have been able to do it for all of those years.
“You'd love to be out there, like anybody would. Anybody from Donegal would say they'd love to be out there playing, but I know what goes into it.
“I was lucky to put in what was needed for it, but I knew this year I wasn't able to do. In a roundabout way, small bits of missing, but I always knew it couldn't be done.”
Ultimately it meant that Murphy was able to scrutinise matches from a different angle. Through his analysis work, Murphy has adapted to being a spectator again. That wasn’t straightforward either, it took time to adapt.
“It is nice to be back watching games again,” Murphy says. “I love Gaelic Football, I just love the game. No matter where I was from or what I'd be doing, I'd absolutely love it.
“I don't think that will ever stop. Whatever it is about it. Then I love the place I'm from - in Donegal. So I was able to do both of them together. I was blessed.”
GAAGO analyst and former Donegal footballer Michael Murphy. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
In the closing stages of his Donegal career, though, Murphy altered his approach somewhat. “I found in my last number of years playing that I had stopped watching the game,” he adds.
“I had become so engrossed in playing with Donegal, looking at our own game, looking at the opposition that we are playing next, I had stopped watching games everywhere.
“I have probably watched more games this year than I did if I was to combine my last three years playing with Donegal. I have enjoyed that. I have enjoyed watching games, looking at different ways.
“Probably there was a transition for me halfway through the year too. I was still probably looking at games with my head and feet in a dressing room. Even people coming away from a game saying it was an absolutely terrible game, I was coming away confused because
“I was intrigued by the battle of it. There was a transition from me then when I was going to look at it as a follower asking myself the question is the game fully attractive - is it really exciting and attractive? That transition did take a good bit into the year for me to start asking those questions.”
Staying involved in the club game has kept Murphy occupied too. Preparing for the Donegal Senior Football Championship next month with Glenswilly is something the 2012 All-Ireland winning captain relishes. “It is coming now in the middle of August, we are finishing off leagues up here,” Murphy says.
“We are playing leagues since the start of April. I've got to play slightly over half of the league with the club, I've enjoyed that. I've missed games through going away covering other games around the country. I've enjoyed getting back, getting out there.
“There is no doubt there is less pressure, there is less commitment. The demands are definitely less which took a bit of adjusting to begin with, but I'm looking forward to it.
"We have a young group of players here at the moment. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into Championship.”
