Premier IHC: Eddie Murphy happy to be on the road with Carrigaline

This weekend will represent Eddie Murphy’s fourth involved in a Cork Premier IHC final as a coach.

In 2006, he helped guide his native Bishopstown to senior hurling as they overcame Carrigtwohill. Three years after that, there was disappointment as Ballymartle lost to Douglas but the Riverstick club were back three years later, beating neighbours Tracton and going all the way to Munster and All-Ireland club glory.

It is another south-east club, Carrigaline, that Murphy partnered with for 2024 and they take on Watergrasshill in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday (3.30pm).

For the bones of four decades, Murphy has been based in Tralee, teaching business through Irish at Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí and running his own accountancy business. While the introduction of the Macroom bypass has helped travel to and from Cork, there’s little change from four hours in the round trip three times a week.

Still, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice.

“It’s a big commitment but it’s very enjoyable,” Murphy says.

“I do it because I love hurling and I’ve always been driven, I got that from my father.

“I got my love of hurling from him, that was his legacy. I’ve had it since about four years of age and I’ve been coaching since 1989.

“I cut my teeth with the Kerry U14s and we won then Sonny Walsh Tournament twice.

“I got involved with the seniors then with John Meyler in 1992 – I coached Kerry U14s, U21s and seniors for about four years in a row – and we beat Waterford in the Munster championship in 1993, that was a fantastic day. Another day to equal it, we beat Clare in the league in October 1995, when they were All-Ireland champions.”

His father is the late Willie ‘Long Puck’ Murphy, a winner of five All-Ireland medals with Cork as well as eight Railway Cups with Munster. A star for Ballincollig – and unlucky not to win a county senior medal with them – he and his wife Catherine later moved to Bishopstown, where Willie was a founder member of the new club in 1957.

Willie was part of the Cork management set-up when the county ended a 12-year wait for an All-Ireland in 1966. Though he died at a young age in 1977, he was able to impart a love of coaching and good organisational skills to his son.

“I believe in time-management,” Eddie says.

“I suppose I’d probably be a workaholic. I’ve been working since I was ten to keep myself independent and I haven’t stopped since.”

The late 1990s saw him guide IT Tralee to the second-tier Ryan Cup and they enjoyed a stint playing Fitzgibbon while he had a hand in Bennettsbridge winning the Kilkenny junior and intermediate titles in consecutive years a decade ago.

Carrigaline have already claimed some silverware this year, beating St Finbarr’s in the final of Division 2 of the RedFM Hurling League. That was part of a league double with the Division 1 football title while the club made an immediate return to premier senior in the big ball, beating Knocknagree last Sunday week.

Murphy is delighted to part of the big surge of momentum.

“I spoke to Harry O’Sullivan, the vice-chairman, when I came in and my aim initially was to stay in Division 2 and get out of our group in the championship,” he says.

“Unfortunately, last year the club was in double-relegation, in spite of the great efforts. Eoghan Cronin is a great hurling man, he did great work last year and got them to the Division 3 league final.

“They were realistic aims and then in the league, we started well against Bride Rovers and mushroomed from there and got some great results.

“We ended up winning it – to beat the Barrs in the final gave us a great boost and to get up to Division 1 was special for this group of players. I can’t praise them enough – they’re a great bunch of players in that they’re full of humility, they’re hard workers and great ambassadors for the club.

“One thing that I’ll say about Carrigaline is that it’s a superbly run club. There are now six pitches, two of them under lights – the executive have really done a great job. Winning the football was fantastic, there are a lot of dual players there.
“Carrigaline this year have really come to the fore and I think the GAA needs a strong Carrigaline. The football is going great and Mick Meaney is a superb manager but there aren’t as many players playing hurling and I would hope that us winning the league and getting to the final will be a catalyst for more to do so.”

Carrigaline have certainly had to earn their place in the decider. Their first championship outing was against Sunday’s opponents, when a ten-point lead was eroded to the point of a two-point loss.

Responding so strongly showed the character in the squad, Murphy feels.

“We were ahead of the Hill but they showed great spirit to claw it back,” he says.

“They never give up and they have very good players – seven on the Imokilly panel and four who regular game-time.

“We’re under no illusions about the magnitude of this but we focus mainly on ourselves. The games in the group were very nerve-wracking – when we lost to the Hill in the first game, we were under savage pressure to beat Valley Rovers.

“That was a south-east derby and it wasn’t the best game in the world, to be honest. We didn’t play particularly well but we did enough to grind out a result. Then we played Castlemartyr, who I’ve said consistently are a very, very good side.

“They’re managed by a good friend of mine, Shane Brick, and they’re tactically very good. They beat us by a point but they had to beat us by three to get through so, thank God, we made it by the skin of our teeth.

“I found then, when we played Ballinhassig and Ballincollig, it was like the shackles were off and we were able to express ourselves and play like we did in the league.

“I thought our hurling in those game was very good. I thought that the lads played really well and as a management we were really proud of their efforts.

“They’re a great bunch of lads. A lot of them have hardly had a free weekend all year, they’ve been playing week-in, week-out.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries this year, as has been well-documented, and we’ve still carried on. It has been a case of next man up.”

He is fully aware of just how big a threat Watergrasshill will pose. At the same time, he has belief in the squad and knows that they will be able to take plenty of positives from the campaign.

“We realise how difficult it will be on Sunday,” he says, “it’s a great occasion for the players and I’ve said consistently that it’s all about them.

“They’re the people who go out on the field, they take the knocks and they make the sacrifices. I’ve said it before, these lads are incredible ambassadors for Carrigaline.

“There are no egos there, they go out and play the game fairly – no dirt, no cheap tactics – they hurl and their skill level is very, very good and has really come on this year.

“They’ve worked so hard, in both codes. Irrespective of what happens, it’s been a great year for the club. It’s great to be in a county final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

“That’s why you play, that’s why you train, to get into finals.”