Con Murphy: The death at the age of 84 of Conchúr Ó Murchú - as Con Murphy, a lifelong promoter of the Irish language since in his youth meeting Douglas Hyde, preferred to be known - robs the GAA of one of its most enduring and remarkable servants, whose contribution to the association ranged through a number of distinguished roles and seven decades.
Right up until his passing last Sunday he was one of Cork's delegates to Munster Council and up to last year his contributions at the association's annual congresses were marked by deep and passionate convictions.
From the time he left school Con Murphy was a prominent member of the association, playing on the great Cork hurling team of the 1940s, turning his attention to refereeing later that decade and moving on into administration, before rising to the highest office in the GAA when he served as president between 1976 and 1978.
Although he could be blunt and at times a daunting presence, most who knew him recognised his straightforwardness and good humour. According to a colleague, "he would have hated to have been thought of as not approachable".
Born on August 28th, 1922 to Dan and Julia (née McCarthy) Murphy in Innishannon, Con Murphy was one of seven children and was educated at the local national school. His father was an agricultural worker. His uncle, Seán McCarthy, was also a president of the GAA, from 1932 to 1935.
The local club was Valley Rovers with whom he played for the whole of his career and with whom he won divisional honours - on one occasion being presented the trophy by the divisional vice-chair, as he himself was the chair.
He was a promising player as a youngster and lined out for both the Cork minor hurlers and footballers.
Playing for the Carrigdhoun division, he reached the 1945 county hurling final but ended up on the losing team against the great Glen Rovers team of the era.
He attended secondary school in the renowned hurling nursery North Monastery in Cork city. There he won two Harty Cup medals, captaining the team in 1941 and 1942.
There is a picture of him with the trophy together with North Mon alumnus, then Cork hurling star and future taoiseach Jack Lynch, who would shortly become his team-mate.
So accomplished a hurler was he that he was fast-tracked into the senior county team later that year of 1942 and played in the last three Liam MacCarthy triumphs of Cork's record four-in-a-row from 1941 to 1944, as well as a further success in 1946. He also won one National League and four Railway Cup medals.
He was a defender who played in a variety of positions: left corner back, centre back - described by one contemporary as his best place - and eventually full back. Big and physically strong, he was an ideal back for the demands of the game at that time.
At Con Murphy's funeral last Tuesday it was pointed out by GAA president Nickey Brennan that his predecessor had been part of a team that included two other icons of Gaelic games, Jack Lynch and Christy Ring.
While still an inter-county player he took up refereeing and officiated at the All-Ireland finals of 1948 and 1950. Describing the latter final, the celebrated Gaelic games writer "Carbery" said that Tipperary were "hesitant" in the first half and added: "One wondered whether they were over-cautious under the keen eye of Mr Con Murphy, our sharpest hurling referee." He was a scrupulous disciplinarian and carried that quality throughout his administrative career, which had started as a divisional delegate in 1938 at the age of 16.
Between 1956 and 1971 he served as Cork county secretary, the last official to fulfil the responsibility in a voluntary capacity. Even after handing over to the current incumbent, Frank Murphy, the first full-time holder of the office, he continued to serve in order to assist his successor in establishing himself.
Up until his election as GAA president in 1976, Con Murphy was prominent in the project to update the old Athletic Grounds and one of his early duties as president was to open formally the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
As president, one of the major issues he confronted was the occupation by the British army of Crossmaglen Rangers's grounds in south Armagh. Liaising tirelessly with both the Irish and British governments, he is credited with keeping the club's plight in the public eye and preventing at one stage the total requisition of the property.
In the Crossmaglen official history by Con Short, published in 1987, the following tribute was paid: "But above all the club will for ever be indebted to Con Murphy, former president of the GAA. It is no exaggeration to say that without his help Crossmaglen Rangers would not have a football grounds today. For the past 12 years he has given total commitment to the club cause, regardless of the hour, day or night. His many trips to Crossmaglen, particularly in the depths of winter, to bolster the club officials and to defend GAA property will never be forgotten."
Unusually for a former president of the GAA, he became involved again in local administration and was elected to chair the county board after serving his national term of office. He also continued to innovate and founded the first minor board in Cork.
The freedom of Cork was bestowed on him in 1995 and he also served on the RTÉ authority between 1979 and 1986.
After leaving school he went to work with the Southern Health Board and on retirement established his own business, a petrol station in Bishopstown.
He married Tess Barry-Murphy, of the famous Cork hurling family, and was a devoted family man, raising four children, Noel, Brendan, Máire and Áine. He is also survived by his brother Dominic and was buried last Tuesday in the graveyard of St Mary's Church in his native Innishannon.
Con Murphy: born August 28th, 1922; died April 28th, 2007.