Murphy’s mourn passing of Mick
IT HAS been a busy time at Fr. Murphy’s in London, but tinged wit sadness at the passing of Michael Butler from Rathnure, the club’s long-standing goalkeeper, who died recently.
He will be taken to The Sacred Heart Church, Quex Road, Kilburn, at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, with funeral Mass and burial the following morning.
Mick, on arriving in London in the early sixties, joined Cuchulainns and won a London championship and a championship of Britain, before joining Fr. Murphy’s.
He played in goal with the club for over 30 years and is the only player outside of Ireland to be nominated for an All Star award. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
The St. Patrick’s weekend saw both the ladies’ football and camogie teams in action, with a Gaelic day at Wasps R.F.C. in Ealing. This was run as part of the City of London St. Patrick’s Festival.
The camogie team played an exhibition against the visiting Laois county champions, O’Moore’s, which was a great work-out for both teams.
Afterwards the footballers played St. Mary’s University for the Monica Dee Cup. In a pulsating game, with both forward lines on top form, St. Mary’s ran out narrow winners on a scoreline of 6-11 to 6-8.
Afterwards all four teams were entertained to a meal in the clubhouse, whilst Monica’s husband, Con Dee, presented a medal to each player and the trophy in memory of his late wife.
On Sunday it was the city’s St. Patrick’s parade, and the Fr. Murphy’s girls were again at the head of this.
A total of 30-plus carried the county and provincial flags, wearing their specially-commissioned jerseys from sponsors Clonakilty Black Pudding.
Whilst the club will not have official fixtures for another month, they are busy organising challenge games in both camogie and ladies’ football.
Anyone wishing to become involved as a player, mentor or supporter, please contact us through www.frmurphys.co.uk, our Facebook page (Fr Murphys Camogie and Ladies Football), or Larry O’Leary on 00 447944178879. AS THE Wexford players and management eventually made their way through to the sanctity of the dressing-room after Sunday’s memorable victory over Kilkenny, with some taking longer than others, they were awaited by Davy, who had a few brief words for his jubilant charges.
Clearly the Clareman loves a victory over Kilkenny. Davy Fitzgerald is as amenable to a siege mentality as the next man - never more so than when the next man is Brian Cody. The pair of them had just one jousting match early on and left it at that, but you can see he relishes taking on the black and amber.
‘I think we were both up for it. I don’t think I‘m as bad as he is. You could see we were both up for it. The respect I have for the man is incredible,’ he said.
‘You’d be giving out about him at times because he’s ruthless and he’s a winner, but he’s the best manager I’ve ever come across and nobody will ever take that from him.
‘I know that today will hurt him a small bit, but he’ll go back, and if he meets us again i know what’s coming.’
Then it was back on to the pitch for further interviews, signing autographs, and posing for photographs with young and old.