Glenswilly pay tribute to Michael Murphy - ‘a captain, a leader and a friend’

Perhaps it was Neil Gallagher who summed it up best, when described Michael Murphy as “a captain, a leader and a friend.”

On Saturday night last at the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny, Glenswilly held their annual dinner dance, which celebrated their founding fathers 40 years ago, their U-21B Championship success before Christmas and the inter-county retirement of Michael Murphy. MC for the event Charlie Collins described it as a “special evening.”

The Glenswilly panel who won the Donegal U-21B Championship in 2022

Collins read out a list of Murphy’s achievements for club, county and country - All-Ireland SFC winner in 2012, Ulster SFC title in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019, and Ulster U-21 in 2010, Buncrana Cup in 2005, Minor league and championship in 2006, National Football League Division 2 crowns in 2011 and 2019, the Dr McKenna Cup in 2010 and 2018,  All-Star awards in 2012, 2014 and 2019, Young Footballer of the Year of 2009 and Donegal Player of the Year in both 2013 and 2019.

Aside that there was the Sigerson Cup of 2012 with DCU, International Rules against Australia in  2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2017 and with the U-17s in 2006, the Railway Cup of 2009 and 2013, Gradam Shéamus Mhic Géidigh in 2016, Dr McLarnon Cup  with St Eunan’s College in 2007 and, of course, the three Donegal SFC wins with Glenswilly.

“We were lucky to have that sort of player,” said Sean Clerkin, who managed Donegal to the 2006 Ulster Minor Championship. “He came in at a hundred miles an hour and played the game on the edge. At 17, he was no bother - just a young Donegal lad who wanted to play for his county.”

Murphy, on retirement last November, recalled the old Nokia buzzing back over the Christmas holiday in 2006, when then Donegal manager Brian McIver asked if he would be interested in joining up with the seniors for the Dr McKenna Cup.

And so it began, an inter-county career that started at 17 for the St Eunan’s College student that would lead to 177 appearances and so much more. Murphy was a goalscorer on his championship debut that July, as Donegal squeezed past Leitrim in the qualifiers.

“I’ve been lucky enough in my career with club, school, university and county to work with umpteen players,” McIver, who managed Donegal from 2007 to 2008, said. “Some had great skill, others great power, some were great readers of the game, some unbelievable leaders and others had an unbelievable drive. But Michael Murphy is the only one who ticks all of those boxes. An unbelievable player. Without any doubt he changed the nature of Donegal football - the best I've ever seen.”

Professor Niall Moyna, former Glenswilly manager Francie Martin, Michael Murphy and former Donegal manager Brian McIver

Francie Martin, at that time, was the man on the sidelines in Glenswilly and having won the Donegal IFC and reached the Ulster final in 2005, they were starting to make inroads. Two years later they were in a first ever SFC final.

“My first year I went to Glenswilly, Michael was always there as a young lad kicking ball behind the nets,” Martin said. “He was very committed. There were plenty of leaders when I was with Glenswilly and we came from Division 3 to Division 1 and we won the Intermediate then Michael came in. It was some achievement to get to that first final in 2007 and then they managed to win three. There were plenty of players but it was just a matter of getting their heads right. I never had any trouble with Michael."

Murphy started at DCU in 2009 and shared digs with Termon goalkeeper Michael Boyle, Cork midfielder Aidan Walsh from Kanturk and Paul Flynn of Dublin, who played for Fingallians. It was one of those houses you’d have trouble finding a pair of jeans in, with football gear everywhere.

“We lived together, went to the same lectures but one thing I learned really quickly was that this guy is going to be a superstar,” Flynn said. “It’s just his aura. It’s so true. He taught me so much, not just how to play football, but how to be a human being. 

“He was such a good club person. I would say the odd time ‘stay about here and we’ll have the craic, like students do’ but he would be home for a training session with Glenswilly - some might have thought that was irrelevant but to him it wasn’t. He was homesick at the start in DCU. He was so focused on doing what he felt was the right thing. You can’t celebrate this man enough. We were privileged to play with him."

Ireland captain Michael Murphy and vice-captain Aidan Walsh at a GAA Go International Rules Press Conference in 2014

Walsh agreed. He said: “You're drawn to him from the first time you met him. A week after Donegal won the All-Ireland, Michael wanted to meet up to show me around DCU. I was delighted to get the call to come up here. We won the Australian Series in 2013. He was captain and I was vice-captain. He played on the Saturday night then was home to play for Glenswilly in a county final the next day. Like that’s amazing, getting home like that to then get man of the match.”

Niall Moyna, Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology in the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU, has witnessed many hopefuls stroll up Collins Avenue.

“I’ve known Michael since 2006 with the Ireland U-17 side who went to Australia,” he said. “I don’t see these as players or sportspeople, I see them as young men who went through my hands. My abiding memory of Michael Murphy is in a Biology lecture a week after winning the All-Ireland. Himself and Paul Flynn and Aidan Walsh used to bounce off each other. I’ve never seen a player who came to every single training session. He was just very special. I don't know any other player in Ireland who put in the hard yards as he did.”

Whilst in the books on Dublin’s northside, Murphy saw Jim McGuinness take charge. He had taken Donegal to an Ulster U-21 crown in 2010 and would continue their relationship with the seniors, as the county’s fortunes took a step into its golden age with Murphy, who was 21, made captain. Frank McGlynn was a key player.

“It’s hard to sum Michael up,” McGlynn said. “Football aside, Michael as a person is his biggest quality. If he became a scientist he’d be the best scientist in the school. Most mere mortals take five or six years to become an established inter-county player. I came in in 2006 and it took me till maybe 2010 or 2011 to become established. 

“For Michael, the minute he stepped onto the pitch in Carrick-on-Shannon he was our main player. I was glad to have Michael Murphy at the other end of the pitch. We were just blessed to have him. The memories we have can’t be replaced. Good luck in retirement and well done.”

Dr Kevin Moran was the man entrusted with looking after both Donegal and Glenswilly and admitted that it was sometimes difficult to dissuade Murphy to stay on the sidelines. One night at Croke Park in 2011 stands out, when Donegal pipped Kildare 1-12 to 0-14 in the All-Ireland quarter-final

“Everything has been said,” Dr Moran said. “A leader and captain but an incredible role model for these young lads. From a medical perspective, he had no pain threshold. You’ll remember that game Kevin Cassidy scored that wonderful point. Michael couldn’t start that game because his hamstring was literally in two halves. He was brought on and Michael made that point, chipping the ball up with that hamstring. That was the beginning of great things.”

Neil Gallagher was soldiering with Murphy on both fronts and remembers the night before Donegal were to play Cavan in the 2012 Ulster preliminary round. The panel spent the night before at the Slieve Russell Hotel. Only two men in the room had All-Ireland winners’ medals - manager McGuinness and physio Donal Reid, who were there in 1992.

“We’d a meeting in 2012 in Cavan before the first match,” Gallagher said. “Jim spoke and Donal Reid spoke and Michael did too. It was nearly the winning of the All-Ireland that day. It was so powerful. The final in 2012 and seeing Michael lift the cup was the standout memory."

Donegal went on to win the All-Ireland and when McGuinness left in 2014, they had three Ulster titles. Rory Gallagher was unfortunate not to add another provincial crown and when Declan Bonner came in at the tail end of 2017, there was talk about the side being in transition. Murphy was having none of it. Donegal were Ulster champions in 2018 and 2019.

“Michael took every session like it was an Ulster final,” Bonner said. “He brought a level of professionalism. Michael was the greatest to play for the county and one of the best who ever played the game. He trained hard and played hard. He looked after himself and looked after those around him. Glenswilly are 40 years old now and are a brilliant, brilliant club. Michael is a proud Donegal man and a proud Glenswilly man. It takes a special type of guy to step away and Michael knew and we wish him the best in his retirement.”

Like Murphy, Gaoth Dobhair’s Eamon  McGee won’t be playing for Donegal again but will be seeing his old captain on the domestic scene.

“It’s all been said,” McGee added. “Once he retires from Glenswilly - having played against him, he will make a good referee! I’m glad [his parents] Mick and Mary are here because Michael didn’t become the player he is or the person he is without them. One of the best things I can say is that I played along with  him. My kids love him.”

Gary McFadden will also be seeing plenty of Murphy, with the Foxhall club already back in pre-season as they aim to bounce back to Division 1 of the All-County Football League and build on a pretty encouraging Donegal SFC where they ran eventual winners Naomh Conaill close in the quarter-finals. Over the last 12 years they've won the Dr Maguire three times. Little did those men think in 1982 when they first gathered to talk about forming a rural club that it would come to that.

“How can you question that man?,” McFadden said of Murphy’s decision to hang up his county boots. “But I wasn’t going to argue with him. He’s the best player ever I saw, playing the last 15 or 16 years getting marked by the best players in Ireland and always came out on top. He’s a hero with the club.”

Neil Gallagher asked for one final word before the attention switched to Murphy, to pay credit to the likes of Eddie McDevitt, Roger McDaid, John McGinley, Jimmy Joe McGinley, Finbar Glackin and Manus McFadden set the ball rolling in Glenswilly from humble beginnings.

“We can't thank the men who set up the club in 1982, they don't get enough credit,” Gallagher said. “Some are gone, men like Peadar Toner - God rest him - we used to love hearing those stories. They loved the Glen.” 

Murphy, of course, got the final word, and in typically modest fashion, was more than praiseworthy of his parents Mick and Mary and fiancée Annie Keeney and everyone who helped out down the year.

“I’m very thankful to get here to say thanks to everyone, to everyone for the commitment in coming here tonight,” Murphy told Charlie Collins. “There’s three big parts to tonight. I appreciate the club for recognising it. The other two are as important - the young lads who won the U-21 and to the club itself for going 40 years. Fair play to those who had the vision to set it up. 

“Thanks to Annie and all in the family environment, the school and the club when I came in, the way they welcomed me back in 2005. You had people who would look out for you there. I want to give the same opportunity to the young lads at the club. 

“Things move on and I got the chance to play for the county I love. I’m not sure if it’s the right decision. There’s no underlying reason. For Donegal, every day is a big day. That’s what makes it. Every day was a journey. It was a brilliant journey.

“We had a team and management who had a brilliant rapport with supporters. We won and lost together. There was no better place to be with your mates and your friends for life.”