Killian Murphy on Sars success and missing out on the county final through injury
Killian Murphy, Sarsfields attempting to hook Cathal Cormack, Blackrock in the 2023 Cork Hurling League Division 1 final in Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
SARSFIELDS’ 2023 triumph was a special one for the club, namely due to the fact it was their first final since 2015, and first title since 2014. For Killian Murphy though, who starred throughout the campaign – it was sweet and sour.
The midfielder suffered an injury in the semi-final against Imokilly, ruling him out for the final against Midleton.
“Personally, it was obviously a disappointing end to the year,” Killian says. “The day of the final was obviously bittersweet for me, but I was lucky enough to get five out of six games this year.
For a man who had been so key for Sars all season, missing out on the final was understandably heart-breaking. To offer a glimmer of compensation, Murphy was rightly awarded an All-Star last month for his performances on their road to the final.
“Personally, it was a great achievement for myself and my family. You don't set out every year to get an All-Star, but just to contribute to the setup, the team, the club, and to progress as a player, [so] to get that was great.
“We had a tough group, and that Kanturk game was tricky enough,” Murphy says. “Getting a draw was actually a good result for us. We obviously knew Kanturk were a good side, and Fermoy is a tricky pitch.
“So, we were happy to get a point out of the game, and I don't think there was any doubt in anyone's mind, or any reason that we couldn't win against the Barrs.
“It was another step up again – we had to win that. We knew once we drew with Kanturk, it was kind of knockout from there, so we took the championship in stages.
“Stage one was the group stages, and then stage two was the quarters, three the semi-final, and obviously stage four, the final. We always took it game by game, and thankfully, it worked out in the end.”
It was an outstanding campaign for Sars – but this group of players are hungry for more and are eager to build on that this season.
“Look, from 2008 to 2014 the club’s never done back-to-back, so that's obviously a long-term goal for the group,” Killian explains. “But starting off the year now, we'll take the league first and try get something out of the league, and hopefully then by championship we're ready to get something from it again.”
While their Cork PSHC campaign ended in joy – their Munster endeavours did not, and that’s something Killian and his teammates will need to address in 2024.
“We could have done more,” he admits. “I think we had two, two and a half weeks leading up to the Ballygunner game.
“The training was immense leading up to it, and the ambitions were high, we had our own goals set for the match and unfortunately it was a wet, dirty day below in Waterford.
As Sarsfields cruised to the Division 1 Hurling League title last season, many expected them to suffer burnout when championship rolled around.
“I think the league helped us in our championship performances, I wouldn't say it burnt us out or anything. It’s good for trying different things out and getting to see the feel of the team and where we can go with different things.
“Again, it's another tough group this year,” Murphy says, looking ahead to their upcoming championship. “Starting off with Douglas. I think that will be good test for us first day out.
“We need to get a result that day to get a good start to the championship and get on the road. We played Newtonshandrum last year, and they’re a tough side. They put it up for 40- or 50-minutes against us last year, so I wouldn't expect anything less from them this year. They’ll be tough to beat.
“There are 12 teams in the championship, and any team could win it on the day. Obviously, things don't go your way some days, and they go your way other days, but every team at this level is a good team. There're no bad team in the Premier Senior grade.”
App?
