Kerry Football Families

The Murphys of Camp


by Matt Leen

The parish of Camp lies a few miles west of Tralee in the shadow of the Slieve Mish mountains, at the entrance to the Dingle Peninsula. This parish has produced great Gaelic footballers over the years; Tim O'Donnell, Charlie O'Sullivan, Denny O'Shea, The Murphys, The Driscolls, and The Doyles. It was here in the 20's Jackie and Hannah Murphy, both school teachers, settled down and reared a family of 7; 4 boys and 3 girls. Jackie won a Junior AIl Ireland with Kerry in the early 2O's, and led the famous Camp team, which also included Tim and John 'Kerry' O'Donnell to victory in the West Kerry league of 1928. The 4 boys, Padraig, Sean, Tomas and Seamus, were imbued with a love of Gaelic football, and with the great encouragement of their father, no spare moment was wasted as they practiced the great skills of their heroes, the majestic Paddy Kennedy, Tim O'Donnell and Charlie O'Sullivan.

Padraig and Sean, having finished national school, went to Colaiste Iosagain, Ballyvourney where in 1949, Padraig as captain and Sean as midfielder helped the college to win Corn Ui Mhuiri for the first time. Both also won Cork County Minor Championship medals with Macroom. The two brothers were selected on the Kerry Junior team that won the All Ireland of 1949, while Sean also played on the Kerry Minor team. In 1950, Sean was on the victorious Kerry minor team that won the All Ireland, and so has the rare distinction of winning a junior AII Ireland before he won a minor. Tomas and Seamus followed the older brothers to Colaiste Iosagain and both won Corn Ui Mhuiri, Tomas in 1951 and Seamus in 1954, which is a unique achievement for 4 brothers. Sean went on to St. Patricks Drumcondra, and UCD, where he qualified as a teacher and later as a medical doctor. He won 3 Sigerson Cups with UCD, Dublin leagues with Erin's Hopes and Geraldines, and also started his fabulous career with the Kerry senior team. He won his first Senior AII Ireland medal in 1953, his second - the historic '55 victory over Dublin and his 3rd in 1959, where his display against Galway is rated as the greatest ever given by a defender in an AIl Ireland Final.

Sean Murphy has the rare and unique distinction of winning AII Ireland medals with 3 different brothers, a junior with Padraig in 1949, a minor with Tomas in 1950, and a senior with Seamus in 1959. He also captained the combined universities to victory over the rest of Ireland in 1958. A Texaco Award in 1959, a Gael Linn AII Time Great in 1961, selection on 'The Centenary Team' and also The Millennium Footballer, a legend in his own lifetime. Seamus joined Sean to win his first AII Ireland Senior Medal in 1959 and went on to win 3 more in 1962, 1969 and 1970. So, Seamus won AII Ireland Medals in 3 decades and also won 4 National Leagues, 2 Sigerson Cups, 1 St. Brendan Cup and also has the rare distinction of never playing on a losing Kerry team in 11 Munster Senior Football finals.

Seamus was also a gifted athlete, the long jump being his specialty. He qualified as an agriculture scientist in UCD and taught in Warrenstown Co. Meath, among his pupils being the great Sean Boylan of Meath fame. Tomas Murphy qualified as an engineer in UCC where he won 2 Sigerson cups as well as an All Ireland Minor medal with Kerry in 1950. Padraig won a junior AII Ireland medal with Kerry in 1949 playing with Erin's Hope and Geraldines and won Dublin's Leagues with them where he was a teacher, he is now honourary president of na Gael Club in Tralee. In 1991 when Kerry defeated London to win the AII Ireland Junior title, a certain Joe Murphy (son of Padraig) was a member of that team. So the continuity goes on - from Jackie in the early 20's to Joe in '91, the Murphys of Camp have given unselfish service, impeccable sportsmanship and complete commitment to the great game of Gaelic football.



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