Michael Murphy (born 4 August 1989) is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a full forward for Glenswilly and for the Donegal county team, which he captained from December 2010 until his initial retirement from inter-county football in November 2022. His predecessors as Donegal players, such as Manus Boyle, Brendan Devenney and Anthony Molloy, regard Murphy as the county's greatest ever footballer. Outside his county he is often regarded as one of the sport's all-time best players.See for example: Paul Flynn of Dublin: "He's the best player in the country at the moment", February 2013. Sinéad Kissane of TV3, originally a Kerry woman at the opposite end of the country from Donegal, writing in the Irish Independent which is published in Dublin. Eoin Liston of Kerry: "You knew right away you were in the company of greatness". Kevin McStay of Mayo: "described recently by Roscommon manager Kevin McStay as a 'once-in-a-generation player'". Seán Moran of The Irish Times: "They also had to get by without injured captain Michael Murphy, one of football's most conspicuous talents", May 2012. Pat Spillane of Kerry: "Spillane said of Murphy 'He is the most complete Gaelic footballer in the country right now'", October 2015. With more than 500 points, Murphy is Donegal's all-time record scorer and he is also the county's top goalscorer, with a points-per-game average that is higher even than Martin McHugh.
Born and raised in north-west Ireland, Murphy's hip was out of place from birth and required surgery at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. After a fast progression through Glenswilly's youth academy, Murphy made his full competitive debut in 2005, having just turned 16, and helped his club reach the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship final that year. He was a member of the team that won his club's first Donegal Senior Football Championship title in 2011, and followed this up with two others in 2013 and 2016. Glenswilly also reached the final of the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship in 2013.
A Donegal man, Murphy is his county's all-time leading scorer. At youth level he won an Ulster Minor Football Championship title, an Ulster Under-21 Football Championship title and contested an All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship final. Murphy made his competitive debut for his county aged 17 in July 2007 and won the All Stars Young Footballer of the Year in 2009. At 21 years old, Murphy received the Donegal captaincy from newly appointed manager Jim McGuinness, who had worked with Murphy the previous season at under-21 level. In doing so he became one of the youngest captains in the team's history. Four successful seasons followed, with Murphy winning two All Stars, three Ulster Senior Football Championship titles (including two consecutively) and the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title, only the second player in the county's history to raise the Sam Maguire Cup as team captain. He received the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final man of the match award and his catch from a Karl Lacey pass, turn leaving his marker Kevin Keane clutching at air and rocket strike past David Clarke into the roof of the Mayo net in the opening minutes of that game to set the score at 1–0 to 0–0 earned him the Championship Matters Goal of the Championship. A team decline under the management of McGuinness's deputy and successor Rory Gallagher was followed by two further Ulster SFC titles under Declan Bonner, all of which Murphy had achieved by the age of 30. This brought Donegal's total provincial championships to ten, with the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th of these all coming under Murphy's captaincy.
Though targeted by Australian rules football clubs since 2007, Murphy declined all offers to move abroad, preferring instead to pursue further honours in Gaelic football. He has, however, played for the Ireland international rules football team and captained the 2013 and 2014 teams.
Early life Michael Murphy was born on 4 August 1989 in Letterkenny, the only child of Mick Murphy, a member of the Garda Síochána, and his wife Mary, who worked for the local health service. On his father's side, he has primarily County Mayo ancestry.
Born with his hip out of place Murphy underwent surgery at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin after Donegal's defeat to Meath in the 1990 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final. Brought back to the capital city for regular check-ups, one day Murphy asked his father if he could go into Croke Park. A security guard permitted them to enter and the legendary Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh approached them. Ó Muircheartaigh shook the hand of the young Murphy and asked him did he "know the big man — Anthony Molloy?" Murphy said, "I do. He's the captain of Donegal." Murphy, the future captain of Donegal, then walked onto the pitch at Croke Park for the first time, with Ó Muircheartaigh alongside him.
Murphy, Molloy and Maguire later appeared in a photograph together when Murphy was a boy. It was not the only photo of the boy Murphy with Molloy.
Murphy travelled throughout the country with his parents to attend Donegal games when he was a child. Murphy attended the 1998 Ulster SFC Final, later recalling: "I remember exactly where I was sitting in the Gerry Arthurs Stand, watching out and seeing Geoffrey McGonagle's infamous on Noel McGinley and all the dreams went".
Murphy's childhood hero was Brendan Devenney, whom he later had the opportunity to play alongside during Murphy's early, and Devenney's later, days in a Donegal jersey.
Education Murphy played for his secondary school St Eunan's College. In 2007, Murphy was a member of the College team that won its fourth McLarnon Cup, and went on to the All-Ireland Colleges Senior Football Championship "B" Final, where they were beaten by a score of 2–12 to 0–14 after extra time by perennial football power St Mary's of Edenderry, County Offaly. In 2008, Murphy was involved as his team opted to participate at "A" level, a successful promotion as they advanced as far as the semi-final of the MacRory Cup.
Murphy graduated from Dublin City University (DCU) in 2013 with a degree in physical education with biology, While studying there, he shared living space with Paul Flynn and Aidan Walsh, fellow All-Ireland winners with Dublin and Cork, respectively. With the DCU football team Murphy won the 2012 Sigerson Cup, defeating NUI Maynooth in the final. He was hailed after his performance in the 2013 quarter-final knocked UCD out of the competition.
Murphy is also a graduate of the Phoenix Elite Academy.
Club Murphy was called up to the Glenswilly senior football team in 2005 when he was just turned 16, and helped them reach the Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship Final. In 2007, aged just 18, he was a key member of the Glenswilly side that had success in the 2007 Donegal Senior Football Championship, beaten only by St Eunan's in the final 0–12 to 1–3. Also, winning the All County Division Two League that same season.
In 2011, Murphy was part of the Glenswilly team that won its first ever Donegal Senior Football Championship title, defeating St Michael's by 1–8 to 0–9 in the final. Murphy scored 1–7 of his team's 1–8 total in a Man of the Match performance. With Glenswilly thus progressing to the Ulster Club Championship first round, Murphy scored a crucial goal from the penalty spot as Glenswilly defeated Cavan Gaels by 1–8 to 0–10.
In October 2013, Murphy won his second Donegal Senior Football Championship title, as Glenswilly defeated Na Cealla Beaga by a scoreline of 3–19 to 2–6. Murphy scored 1–5 and set up Ciaran Bonner's goal with a deft flick of the heel. Murphy played less than 24 hours after captaining Ireland in the first 2013 International Rules Test win against Australia. Glenswilly progressed to the final of that year's Ulster Senior Club Football Championship, which they lost to Ballinderry, despite Murphy opening the scoring with a goal after 25 seconds and later assisting Caolan Kelly for a second.
Murphy won a third Donegal SFC in 2016.
Inter-county Minor and under-21: 2006–2010 Murphy experienced under-age success with Donegal as a member of Donegal's 2006 Ulster Minor Football Championship-winning side.
He captained the 2010 Ulster Under-21 Football Championship-winning side, contributing 0–1 in the three-point quarter-final victory over Armagh, 1–2 (including two frees) in the four-point semi-final victory over Derry and 1–5 (including two frees) in the comprehensive final victory over Cavan, with all three games played at neutral Brewster Park. Quarter-final: "Daniel McLaughlin arrowed the ball towards Michael Murphy. The Donegal captain won and off-loaded for [James] Carroll…" He then played in the final of the 2010 All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship, which Donegal (managed by Jim McGuinness) narrowly lost to Dublin (managed by Jim Gavin). Murphy scored two frees and battled against future Dublin star Rory O'Carroll.
Early years at senior level: 2007–2010
Murphy made his senior debut for Donegal in January 2007 against UUJ in the Dr McKenna Cup. He made his All-Ireland Senior Football Championship debut later that year in a qualifier.
Though he played in the Ulster Senior Football Championship, he did not win a game until 2011 due to his team's lack of success at the time.
At the end of the 2009 season, he received the All Stars Young Footballer of the Year, having scored 36 points in six All-Ireland Senior Football Championship appearances, sixteen of them from play.
Jim McGuinness and Donegal captaincy: 2010–2014 In December 2010, the newly appointed Donegal manager Jim McGuinness named Murphy captain ahead of the 2011 season. Succeeding Kevin Cassidy in the role, Murphy became one of the youngest skippers in the county's history. The decision to select such a young man as team captain was unexpected. He would go on to become the most successful captain in team history, retaining the role throughout the McGuinness era and under McGuinness's successors.
In 2011, with Donegal breaching four years without any silverware whatsoever, Murphy captained the senior team to the National Football League Division 2 title. He scored 1–3 in his team's 2–11 to 0–16 victory over Laois in the final. Murphy continued his success as captain by leading Donegal to their first Ulster Senior Football Championship title in 19 years, with a win over Derry in Clones, scoring a penalty just after half-time in a 1–11 to 0–08 win. Donegal went on to reach the All-Ireland SFC semi-final, where they suffered a narrow defeat to eventual champions Dublin in an extremely close match.
In 2012, Murphy became the first player to captain Donegal to back-to-back Ulster titles, and later added the All-Ireland title—only the second Donegal captain to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, after Anthony Molloy in 1992. Although Murphy's scoring totals decreased after 2011, McGuinness praised him for his work rate and unselfish play.
Murphy smashed the ball into the Mayo net after three minutes of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, having collecting a high ball delivered by Karl Lacey. That catch and strike was widely hailed as 2012's iconic score and Goal of the Season. Upon climbing the Hogan Stand after the game, lifting the Sam Maguire Cup and catching his breath, Murphy was handed a microphone to make his speech. He began by bellowing "We have him"—in reference to the Sam Maguire Cup. He ended with a chorus of "Jimmy's winning matches. Jimmy's winning games. Jimmy's bringing Sammy back to Donegal again". GAA President Liam O'Neill later related that Murphy, as they exchanged the Sam Maguire Cup, had offered his condolences on the sudden death of O'Neill's sister the previous day. President O'Neill went on to express his admiration for Murphy and called him an "exceptional young captain".