Dan Murray delighted to be back at Midleton and loving his new role in charge of football affairs

Cork City legend Dan Murray is moving into the next chapter of his coaching journey with his new role as Head of Football at Midleton FC, and he cannot wait to get started at Knockgriffin Park.

The Magpies are soaring at present as their first team are reigning Munster Senior League Premier Division champions, and the good times continued earlier this year when the Keane Cup was captured with a victory over Mayfield United at Turner’s Cross.

Midleton are also thriving at underage level after reaching the 2024-25 FAI U17 National Cup final and lifting the Gussie Walsh Cup.

Murray knows what he is walking into, and the three time League of Ireland Premier Division winner is determined to build on solid foundations.

“I’m very excited about it,” he told The Echo.

“I’m looking forward to it. It's a bit different to what I've been used to doing. Like I said, I’m lucky. I played for them for a couple of years. My son played for them for a couple of years at underage, in the academy and that.

“So, I’m looking forward to it. It's slightly different from what I've been doing with the Cork City's Academy. So, just feeling myself into it at the minute, but it's been good so far.” Murray moves to Knockgriffin Park after holding various coaching roles at Cork City, going from the U15s right up to the senior team. With this came experience, and it will be now used at all levels at Midleton FC.

“I think so far everyone's kind of called it something different,” Murray talked about the job.

“Head of Football, Director of Football, Head of Coaching, it kind of covers all their bases.

“I'll be overseeing all the football operations, within the club. All the way from the academy, all the way up to the men's senior team, and I will try and help as many as I can.

“I’ll help whoever wants help and whoever you think needs help. I’ll try to improve on the solid base that the people involve in Midleton before me have created. I've taken over pretty much what Billy Woods was doing for a year before he moved over to the States.

“It is continuing what he's done. You're probably building on what he's put in, and then probably putting a bit of my own thoughts of what we should be doing in place. That's what I'll be looking to do. Like, I think the club's in a fantastic position where it is at the minute.

“I'd like to think it's a massive community club, and I think that's the most important thing. Since I've been involved in the club, that's the most important thing. It's providing to the community for the kids and adults around Midleton, in the town and in the surrounding areas so they have Midleton FC to go to play their football and enjoy their football.” Midleton have had lot to enjoy in recent years, and more could be on the way as their seniors get ready to open their campaigns in the Beamish Stout Senior Cup and FAI Intermediate Cup.

The Premier Division titles have propelled things forward, and this was done with a blended squad of veterans of the League of Ireland and local players. This was group was later strengthened by the additions of Tiernan O’Brien and Dale Holland from Cobh Ramblers, while Graham Cummins was brought in as manager after Kevin Murray stepped down.

“The one to win is the Munster Senior League and to go back to back is a massive thing,” Murray talked about the scale of the club’s ambitions.

“It was great for the club to win it. Like you said, can you keep winning it year after year? It's really difficult because there's some really good teams in the Munster Senior League, but that's what we plan to do every year. We’re trying to develop that team, that it's getting better and better every year, winning trophies, doing well in the Intermediate Cup and National Cups, and providing a pathway for the players in Midleton’s academy and junior teams. So, they can see there's a place for them to play football.

“If that is their ceiling of senior football in the Munster Senior League, we have one of the best teams and one of the best clubs that you can make the best of it if you want to be a senior player.”