Today saw the launch of the 2021 M. Donnelly GAA All-Ireland Poc Fada Finals by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Larry McCarthy, and Uachtarán an Cumann Camógaíochta Hilda Breslin. The All-Ireland Poc Fada finals in Hurling and Camogie will be held on the Cooley Mountains on Saturday 25th September. Pictured at the launch in Croke Park, Dublin, is Kilkenny hurler Eoin Murphy.
By John Harrington
Kilkenny goalkeeper, Eoin Murphy, says he’s happy that Brian Cody has agreed to remain on as the county hurling team manager for 2022.
It will be the 11-time All-Ireland SHC winning manager’s 24th season in charge, which means he’s been managing the team since before a good chunk of the current panel were even born.
“I know no different than Brian and he has been a great servant to Kilkenny hurling and I think, yeah, we certainly wouldn’t begrudge him another couple of years,” says Murphy
“I don’t see any issue with Brian. I’m quite happy with it, obviously I’m being picked, it would be a different story if I’m on the bench next year. Look, we are just there to play games.
“At the end of the day we are being coached, we are being well looked after, we can have no complaints with the county board or anything like that.
“So I think when you are afforded that level of enjoyment, you just literally go out and play the games, you don’t mind who is over it, to be honest with you.”
Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Kilkenny and Cork at Croke Park in Dublin.
Kilkenny were Leinster champions in 2021 and also joint-winners of the Allianz Hurling League, but Murphy still regards the year as a wasted one because they failed to win the Liam MacCarthy Cup.
“Winning a provincial championship is great, and as you mentioned sharing the league - forgot about that.
“There was a bit of an anti-climax to that simply because we didn’t play a league final. Other teams might look at it as a bit of a successful year. Maybe, look, we feel it was a bit of a waste of a year, it’s probably the high standards we set for ourselves. Look, you might have got something more out of it if we had made the All-Ireland and then have a crack at Limerick.
“And if they had beaten us in the All-Ireland final, they are the best team in the country and you can put your hand up and say, ‘that’s grand.’ Look, yeah, when you don’t win the All-Ireland that’s the case. If we don’t win the club this year, it’s a waste, it’s another year gone.”
Now 31, Murphy is very much a veteran in the current youthful Kilkenny panel but remains one of their most important players.
He was outstanding in this year’s championship, and has no plans to hang up his hurley any time soon.
“Yeah, enjoying it as much as ever, to be honest,” he said. “I think a couple of years ago I was at something similar to this here and I was saying physically I never felt as good. It’s similar enough this year, just felt you were in good shape, you feel a little bit lighter on the goal - it’s hard to explain.
“In fairness to Mickey Comerford, he has put in a huge amount of work with us, individualising programmes then as well during lockdowns and things like that to try cater for whatever you have at home, or whatever type of weights you could get out of the club before the lockdown came about. So he was doing all those individual programmes and he put in a fierce amount of work with myself and Darren as well.
“So enjoying it as much as ever, and as long as I’m enjoying it, be it with club or county, now herself mightn’t be too happy to hear that. I have another nine years to go until I hit 40 anyway before I start questioning things.”
