Jimmy Murray (Gaelic footballer)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Jimmy Murray" Gaelic footballer – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Jimmy Murray (5 May 1917 – 23 January 2007) was an Irish sportsperson who played Gaelic football with Roscommon in the 1940s.

Early & private life

Jimmy Murray was born to John and Susan (née Walls) Murray in 1917. His mother, a native of

Away from the field of play, he was a lover of music, especially famous tenors such as Athlone's John McCormack and Mario Lanza. His party piece was "The West's Awake" and the song became the title of a charity CD he produced in 2003 - a recording debutant at the age of 85.Jimmy himself inspired a tune ("Famous Jimmy Murray")recorded by Welsh folk band Allan Yn Y Fan.

Playing career

Club

Murray had great success as a club footballer. He played with his local

Murray's hugely successful inter-county career began in 1939. That year he played on a Roscommon team that defeated Limerick in the All-Ireland junior football semi-final, only to lose to Dublin in the final. A year later Roscommon returned to win the final with a comprehensive triumph over Westmeath. The stock of Roscommon football was on the rise and more experienced players like Jimmy Murray, Dr Donal Keenan (later to serve as president of the GAA), Owensie Hoare and Hugh Gibbons looked forward to the arrival on the senior team of the young players who won All-Ireland minor titles for the county in 1939 and 1941.

The senior breakthrough came in 1943 when Roscommon defeated Galway in the Connacht final, a victory that Jimmy Murray later described as "our greatest victory until that point". They went on to beat Louth in the All-Ireland semi-final and captured their first senior All-Ireland title with a 2-7 to 2-2 win over Cavan. Murray’s performance in this match was his finest hour - he had taken Roscommon from oblivion to the All-Ireland title. His brother Phelim also played on that team, and again in 1944, when Roscommon defeated the traditional powerhouses of the game, Kerry, to add a second title. They were among the select few sets of brothers to play together in and win All-Ireland titles. In 1946, Roscommon came tantalisingly close to adding a third title, however, in the All-Ireland final against Kerry, Murray sustained a broken nose, but came back on to the field to almost score a late winning point. Kerry won the day by 2-8 to 0-10.

As a Gaelic footballer, Jimmy Murray was a stylish and tenacious centre forward who made little of his relatively small stature to thrive in an era when physical strength was celebrated. He had outstanding leadership qualities, and even today his name is cited in Roscommon and national Gaelic Athletic Association circles as a man to be emulated.

Records

Murray is regarded as one of the

Retirement

In November 2003 Jimmy recorded an album "The West's Awake" in his pub in Knockroghery. The proceeds went to Lean ar Aghaidh Resource Centre, Roscommon, for Children with Special Needs. In November 2005 he signed a Limited Edition photo of himself with the Sam Maguire Cup (All Ireland Senior Football Cup) to raise funds for the International Relief and Development Agency GOAL. In October 2006 members of the Roscommon minor football team stopped at Murray's pub in Knockcroghery as they transported the All-Ireland minor trophy (Tom Markham Cup) back to the county after defeating Kerry in a replay. "It was a very emotional moment. He was old and feeble, but it meant so much to the players to meet Jimmy," said a Roscommon county board official who witnessed the meeting.

Jimmy Murray died peacefully on 23 January 2007. At the age of 89 he was the oldest surviving double All-Ireland winning captain.

External links

• The late Jimmy Murray
• Jimmy Murray