Jas Murphy

James Murphy (30 May 1923 – 1 December 2021), better known as Jas Murphy, was an Irish Gaelic footballer. He played at club level with Garda and at inter-county level with the Cork and Kerry senior football teams. He captained Kerry to the 1953 All-Ireland Championship.^[1]

Jas Murphy

Personal information
Irish name	Séamus Ó Murchú
Sport	Gaelic football
Position	Right corner-back
Born	(1923-05-30)30 May 1923 Tralee, County Kerry, Munster, Ireland
Died	1 December 2021(2021-12-01) (aged 98) Douglas Road, Cork, Ireland
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Nickname	Jas
Occupation	Garda Síochána
Club(s)
Years	Club
	Kerins O'Rahilly's St. Nicholas' Garda
Club titles
Cork titles	1
Inter-county(ies)
Years	County	Apps (scores)
1947–1948 1949–1954	Cork Kerry	3 (0–00) 16 (0–00)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	2
All-Irelands	1
NFL	0

Career

Murphy first played Gaelic football with the Kerins O'Rahilly's club in Tralee. He later lined out with the Garda club in Cork and was part of their 1950 County Championship-winning team.^[2] Murphy first appeared on the inter-county scene after declaring for the Cork senior football team. After two seasons with his adopted team, he subsequently joined the Kerry senior football team in 1949. Murphy won the first of two Munster Championship titles in 1950 and assumed the team captaincy for the 1953 All-Ireland final after Paudie Sheehy was dropped from the team.^[3] He ended the game with a winners' medal and lifted the Sam Maguire Cup after the defeat of Armagh.^[4] Murphy himself was dropped from the team before the 1954 Munster final.

Personal life

Born in Tralee, County Kerry, Murphy was the son of RIC double agent Jim Murphy. After joining the Garda Síochána, he eventually reached the rank of Detective Garda and was based in Union Quay in Cork from 1943 until his retirement in 1985.

Murphy died on 1 December 2021, at the age of 98.^[5]

Honours

Garda

• Cork Senior Football Championship: 1950

Kerry

• All-Ireland Senior Football Championship: 1953 (c)
• Munster Senior Football Championship: 1950, 1953 (c)

References

1. "Jas Murphy - Kerry's Oldest Living Winning Captain". Terrace Talk. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
2. "Garda out in force". Irish Examiner. 15 August 2002. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
3. "Dara Ó Cinnéide: Why captaincy tradition can't imprison Kerry". Irish Examiner. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
4. "Interview With Former Kerry Captain". Radio Kerry. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
5. "James 'Jas' Murphy, Kerry's oldest All-Ireland winning captain, has died aged 98". Irish Examiner. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.