There was a low-key farewell party at Castleisland Garda Station on Thursday night for the retirement of one of the most respected members of the force, Garda Connie Murphy.
That’s just how the Killarney native would have wanted it and his colleagues knew this well. Though mostly associated with the Farranfore station, Garda Murphy’s lines of duty often brought him to Castleisland – as did his final signing off on that Thursday night.
Dr. Crokes and Kerry footballer and private citizen, Connie Murphy joined An Garda Siochána in 1991 and he served in Ballymun in Dublin before being transferred to Ballyheigue in 1992. He moved to Listowel in 2005 as a detective and to Farranfore in 2010 – where he finished his service last week.
A People’s Garda
Castleisland based Garda colleague, Niamh Corkery said that Connie Murphy was ‘the perfect policeman.’
“That’s the best way I can describe him. He was a people person first of all and he was very much a people’s Garda.
“He had a great way of dealing with people and any situation he and his colleagues found themselves in.
Always There for Us
“As far as we were concerned, he was always there for us and we benefited from his advice, experience and knowledge and they’re three vital parts of your job as a Garda today.
“We’ll miss him terribly and I know I can say that on behalf of all our colleagues who worked with Connie,” said Garda Corkery.
Garda Murphy’s Sporting Achievements
Fellow Killarney native and killarneytoday.com editor, John O’Mahony provided the lowdown on Connie Murphy’s sporting achievements and prowess as follows:
“Connie Murphy was an outstanding sportsman who excelled in a number of codes.
A wonderfully talented and versatile footballer, he was equally comfortable in defence or in attack but was probably at his most influential at midfield.
A Stand-out Performer
Blessed with great pace and stamina with a real eye for goal, he was a stand-out performer, in all age groups, with his beloved Dr Crokes and he was at centre forward when they won the Kerry U-21 Championship in 1986, beating Castleisland Desmonds in the final.
Connie and his late father, Liam, had the unique honour of both winning seven East Kerry senior football championship (O’Donoghue Cup) titles with the black and amber, thus ensuring their names will be side by side in the club’s history books for future generations to read about.
1992 All-Ireland Club Championship
Connie was the man-of-the-match in the 1992 All-Ireland Club Championship final in Croke Park when a powerhouse display in the middle of the park inspired Crokes to a narrow victory over Dublin champions Thomas Davis in a thriller.
Not surprisingly, Connie’s club form in the 1980s caught the attention of the Kerry senior selectors and it wasn’t long before Mick O’Dwyer handed him the green and gold jersey, becoming a mainstay in the squad from 1987 through to the mid-1990s.
1989 All-Star Winner
He played for Kerry, usually at centre back or wing back, in 50 league and 15 championship games and one of the greatest moments in his sporting career was when he won a prestigious All-Star award in 1989, at the age of 24.
Connie’s name would often crop up in table quizzes when a name was sought for a player who won an All-Ireland but never a senior inter-county All-Ireland.
National League Basketball
Connie was also a great basketball player and played at national league level, initially with St. Vincent’s and later with St Paul’s in Killarney, lining out alongside the legendary Paudie O’Connor in a star-studded team.
Connie is married to Yvonne (McCarthy), they have a daughter, Leah, and they live in his native Killarney.
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