Barry Murphy says Croke Park holds no fear for Cork

SIX-TIME ALL-IRELAND medal winning Cork footballer and hurler Jimmy Barry Murphy believes the young age of many of the Cork team may well prove to be an advantage for them in that they will not be inhibited by the prospect of playing Kerry in Croke Park.

Barry Murphy, who won his All-Ireland football medal as a precociously talented 19-year-old when Cork beat Galway in 1973, reckons from his own experience that Cork’s youth in many departments on Sunday will be no barrier to success.

“I know it’s a long time ago since I played my first football final, but, from my experience, I realise how few nerves I had compared to later in my career and I’m really looking forward to these young Cork players going out and playing without any inhibitions on Sunday.

“A lot of these guys have had great success over the last few years under John Cleary and Tony Leahy at under-21 level and they really have shown no fear of Kerry at any level and I think that’s going to stand to them on Sunday.”

A huge admirer of Graham Canty’s leadership, Barry Murphy also admits that he’s been hugely impressed by the fact that all six Cork forwards are scoring and that there are substitutes on the Cork bench who can also kick points if they are called upon.

The St Finbarr’s man, who also won five All-Ireland hurling medals and coached Cork to All-Ireland hurling success in 1999, acknowledges that Kerry remain a powerful threat to Cork hopes of claiming their first football title since 1990.

“Everything I say is tempered by the fact that Kerry are Kerry. It’s almost like they’ve been playing a three-card-trick on us the last few years in June and July and then all of a sudden they come to Croke Park and their form is transformed.

“Their form in Croke Park in September is totally at variance from what we’ve seen in Munster and I have total respect for Kerry but I just see a new breed of Cork footballer coming along now, there’s a great pool of talent there and I just think Cork’s time has come.

Barry Murphy was speaking at a function in Cork yesterday where mobile phone provider, Telefonica O2 confirmed that it is to renew its sponsorship of the Cork hurling and football teams for the next three years.

The deal, which it’s understood to be worth over €100,000 a year, was warmly welcomed by chairman of the Cork County Board, Jerry O’Sullivan, who said that partnership had worked well up until now and the board was delighted to see it continuing.

Telefonic O2 director of marketing Damian Devaney said that the company was honoured to be associated with the Cork GAA and he paid tribute to Cork County Secretary, Frank Murphy, for his professionalism in helping negotiate the deal.