Tommy Murphy (1920–1985) was a Gaelic footballer from County Laois.

Biography

Tommy Murphy was born in Graiguecullen, County Laois on 5 November 1920. He was educated in the nearby

Knockbeg College St Mary's Knockbeg College ( ga, Coláiste Muire Cnoc Beag) is a Roman Catholic, all-boys secondary school located on the Laois/Carlow border in Ireland, approximately 3 km from both Carlow town and Graiguecullen, Co. Laois. A former sem ...

in Carlow. Murphy played for the Laois Minors when he was just 15 and came to prominence in 1937 when he played his first senior championship match against Offaly. Despite being only a 16-year-old schoolboy, Murphy lined out against Kerry in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final that same year. During the late 1930s and 1940s Murphy was a household name all over

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He won

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 ...

provincial medals in 1937, 1938, and 1946. In all Murphy won eight

Laois Senior Football Championship The Laois Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by top-tier Laois GAA clubs. The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association has organised it since 1888. Portarlington are the title holders ...

medals and various Railway Cup medals for Leinster. His last game for Laois was against

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...

in the 1953 Championship and two years later he played the last game for his club,

Graiguecullen Graiguecullen GFC are a Gaelic Athletic Association club from County Laois, Ireland. The club played in Carlow for many years but in 1926 they were suspended. The club then chose to play in Laois and have been doing so ever since. The club were ...

. For many years Murphy worked as a land steward and later he was employed with the Department of Post and Telegraphs. He contested the 1948 general election for Laois–Offaly as a

Clann na Poblachta Clann na Poblachta (; "Family/Children of the Republic") was an Irish republican political party founded in 1946 by Seán MacBride, a former Chief of Staff of the Irish Republican Army. Foundation Clann na Poblachta was officially launched o ...

candidate but failed to get elected. Murphy died of a heart attack on 17 May 1985 and was buried in St Mary's Cemetery in his native Graiguecullen.

Honours

In recognition of his skills and long-running contribution to the sport, Murphy was awarded the 1981 All-time All Star Award as no All Stars Awards were being issued at the time of his playing career. In 1999, the GAA honoured Murphy by naming him on the Gaelic football " Team of the Millennium." He was further honoured in 2005 when the organisation named a new football competition, the

Tommy Murphy Cup The Tommy Murphy Cup was a Gaelic football competition, featuring senior county teams eliminated from the early stages of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and also Kilkenny when not fielding a team in the main All-Ireland. The seri ...

, in his honour.

Biography

Honours

See also