William Murphy (16 December 1913 – 24 August 1977), commonly known as Long Puck, was an Irish hurler and hurling selector. His career included All-Ireland Championship victories as a player and later as a selector with the
Cork senior hurling team
The Cork county hurling team represents Cork in hurling and is governed by Cork GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Hurlin ...
.
After beginning his career at club level with
Ballincollig
Ballincollig () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city in Ireland. It is located on the western side of Cork city, beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2016 it was the largest town in County Cork, at wh ...
, Murphy joined the Cork minor team in 1930 and began an inter-county career that spanned 20 years. After
Munster Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
success with the junior side, he was promoted to the Cork senior team in 1939. From his debut, Murphy was ever-present as a corner-back and made a total of 37 championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 1949. During that time he was part of five All-Ireland Championship-winning teams, including Cork's record-breaking four titles in-a-row between
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
Munster Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
medals and three
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
medals.
Playing career
Ballincollig
Murphy first played for the
Ballincollig
Ballincollig () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city in Ireland. It is located on the western side of Cork city, beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2016 it was the largest town in County Cork, at wh ...
club at juvenile and underage levels in the late 1920s before joining the club's top adult team. He claimed his first major silverware in 1934 when Ballincollig defeated
Kinsale
Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...
by 3-03 to 2-03 to win the Cork Intermediate Championship.
Ballincollig qualified for a second successive intermediate final the following year, with Murphy once again lining out at right corner-back. He ended the game with a second successive winners' medal following the 4-02 to 3-02 victory over St. Columba's.
After three unsuccessful years in the Cork Senior Championship, Ballincollig regarded and qualified for the 1939 intermediate final. Murphy claimed a third winners' medal after captaining the team to a 4-06 to 4-02 victory over
Ballinora
Ballinora or Ballynora () is a small rural parish and townland near Cork city and Ballincollig in County Cork, Ireland. The townland is home to several education facilities and sporting clubs, and includes the village of Waterfall.
Amenities
B ...
. In accepting the cup, he was described by County Board registrar Liam O'Shea as being "a worthy representative in the Cork senior hurling team."
Ballincollig's second stint in the senior championship saw Murphy line out in three successive final defeats by
Glen Rovers
Glen Rovers is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Blackpool, Cork, Ireland. The club was founded in 1916 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. They were Cork senior hurling champions in 2015 and 2016, havin ...
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
, 1942 and 1943. He captained the team on a number of occasions, while he also lined out with divisional side
Muskerry
Muskerry ( ga, Múscraí) is a central region of County Cork, Ireland which incorporates the baronies of Muskerry West1930 Munster Championship. He made his first appearance for the team on 24 September 1930 when he was included at left wing-back in Cork's 4-03 to 3-00 defeat by
Tipperary
Tipperary is the name of:
Places
*County Tipperary, a county in Ireland
**North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh
**South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel
*Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
in the Munster final. Murphy played with the minor team for a further two years, lining out in goal in the unsuccessful campaigns in 1931 and 1932.
Murphy was in his final year of the minor grade when he was also drafted onto the Cork junior team He won a
Munster Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
in his debut season after a 1-04 to 1-02 victory over Clare in the 1932 Munster final. After a one-year absence from the team, Murphy played his last game in the junior grade when Cork suffered a 7-10 to 5-02 defeat by
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
Murphy's performances at club level brought him to the attention of the Cork senior selectors and he was drafted onto the team during the 1938-39 National League. He made his championship debut at left wing-back on 25 June 1939 in a 7-04 to 4-03 defeat of Waterford before later claiming his first
Munster Championship
The Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Munster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Munster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurlin ...
medal after a 4-03 to 3-04 victory over
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. On 3 September 1939, Murphy lined out at left corner-back when Cork suffered a 2-07 to 3-03 defeat by
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
in the "thunder and Lightning" All-Ireland final.
Murphy claimed his first national silverware when Cork defeated Tipperary by 8-09 to 6-04 to win the 1939-40 National League title. He was selected at right corner-back when Cork surrendered their provincial title to Limerick in the 1940 Munster final.
After winning a second successive National League medal after a 4-11 to 2-07 victory over
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
All-Ireland final
The All-Ireland Final may refer to:
* All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels)
* The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
...
of his career on 28 September 1941 when he was selected at full-back against Dublin. He ended the game with his first All-Ireland medal after the 5-11 to 0-06 victory. Murphy ended the season by lining out in Cork's 5-04 to 2-05 defeat by
Tipperary
Tipperary is the name of:
Places
*County Tipperary, a county in Ireland
**North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh
**South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel
*Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
after a 4-15 to 4-01 defeat of Tipperary. He was again selected at right corner-back for the subsequent
All-Ireland final
The All-Ireland Final may refer to:
* All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels)
* The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
...
against Dublin and collected his second successive All-Ireland winners' medal after a 2-14 to 3-04 victory.
After winning a third provincial championship medal following a 2-13 to 3-08 victory over Waterford in the 1943 Munster final, Murphy subsequently lined out in a third successive
All-Ireland final
The All-Ireland Final may refer to:
* All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels)
* The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
...
. He claimed a third successive winners' medal after the 5-16 to 0-04 victory over Antrim.
Murphy claimed a third successive Munster Championship winners' medal - the fourth of his career - after a 4-06 to 3-06 victory over Limerick in the 1944 Munster final replay. On 3 September 1944, he again lined out at right corner-back in a fourth successive
All-Ireland final
The All-Ireland Final may refer to:
* All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels)
* The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
...
appearance and ended the 2-13 to 1-02 victory over Dublin by becoming one of a select group of players to have won four successive All-Ireland medals.
After failing to secure a fifth successive title in 1945, Murphy won a fifth provincial championship winners' medal after the 3-08 to 1-03 defeat of Limerick in the 1946 Munster final. For the five time in six seasons, he lined out in the subsequent
All-Ireland final
The All-Ireland Final may refer to:
* All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels)
* The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
...
with
Kilkenny
Kilkenny (). is a city in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster. It is built on both banks of the River Nore. The 2016 census gave the total population of Kilkenny as 26,512.
Kilken ...
providing the opposition. Murphy claimed a fifth All-Ireland winners' medal after again playing at right corner-back in the 7-05 to 3-08 victory.
Murphy claimed a sixth provincial winners' medal after the 2-06 to 2-03 defeat of Limerick in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
. He was again at right corner-back for his seventh
All-Ireland final
The All-Ireland Final may refer to:
* All-Ireland Hurling Final, the last match to be played in the All-Ireland Hurling Championship (Senior, Minor and Under-21 levels)
* The last match to be played in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
...
appearance on 7 September 1947, but ended the game on the losing side after the 0-14 to 2-07 defeat by Kilkenny in what is regarded as one of the greatest games of all time.
Murphy won a third National League medal after a 3-03 to 1-02 defeat of Tipperary in the 1948 league final. Later that season he played in the eighth Munster final but ended on the losing side after a 4-07 to 3-09 defeat by Waterford. A defeat by Tipperary in the 1949 Munster Championship brought the curtain down on Murphy's inter-county career.
Munster
Murphy was first selected for the Munster team in advance of the 1940 Railway Cup. It was the first of nine successive seasons with the inter-provincial team and he ended his debut year with his first winners' medal after a 4-09 to 5-04 defeat of
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
.
After surrendering the title to Leinster the following year, Murphy claimed five successive titles between 1942 and 1946 as he came to be known as one of the mainstays of the team. He claimed his seventh and final Railway Cup medal as captain of the team in his final game in the 1948 Railway Cup final.
Coaching career
Murphy was added to the selection committee of the Cork senior hurling team in the mid 1960s. His tenure with the team coincided with a return to success after a long period without a title, with Cork claiming the 1966 Munster Championship after a 4-09 to 2-09 victory over Waterford. Murphy later helped to guide the team to a first All-Ireland Championship in 12 years after a five-point defeat of Kilkenny in the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
.
Personal life and death
Murphy, who spent much of his working life with Dunlop's, was married to Catherine Murray and lived in the Bishopstown suburb of
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
. They had a son,
Eddie
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
*Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
* Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...
, and two daughters, Mary and Audrey. Eddie also enjoyed a lengthy career as a hurler and won an All-Ireland B Championship medal with the Kerry senior hurling team in 1986.
On 24 August 1977, Murphy died suddenly after being taken ill at his home.
Honours
;Ballincollig
*
Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship
The Cork Intermediate A Hurling Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Cork Intermediate A Hurling Championship and abbreviated to the Cork IAHC) is an annual hurling competition organised by the Cork GAA, Cork Coun ...
Cork Junior Football Championship
The Cork Junior A Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as the Co-Op Superstores Cork Junior A Football Championship and abbreviated to the Cork JAFC) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Cork County Board o ...
1941
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual Inter county, inter-county hurling competition featuring teams from Ireland and England. Founded in 1925 by the Gaelic Athletic Association, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation within the l ...
Munster Junior Hurling Championship
The Munster Junior Hurling Championship is a junior "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council.
The winners of the Munster Junior Hurling Ch ...