Revered around Ireland Former Roscommon player, Dermot Earley. addressed the huge crowd at the graveside of Jimmy Murray. He recalled how well Roscommon's All-Ireland senior winning captain was so well-known around Ireland. "Where Gaelic games are played and where ever Gaelic games are spoken, the name of Jimmy Murray come up time and time again. I think that we all have experienced being asked the question down through the years by meeting people all over Ireland and beyond: Do you know Jimmy murray?" he said. Mr Earley remembered being asked was he from Knockcroghery by an elderly couple in Waterford some year ago. He added that the lady wondered did the ball still hang from the ceiling. "A man came up to me in Kilkenny and said that he went to the All-Ireland final in 1944 as a ten-year-old. He went to the Theatre Royal on the Saturday night before the game. "At the interval the captains of the teams playing the following day were introduced to the audience. He said that he remembered Jimmy Murray's personality. The only thing he remembered about the game was the presentation of the cup to Jimmy Murray. "They will tell you in Kerry that we had a good one. They will speak across the north with reverence of the man and ask you how is he doing. In a table quiz in a club in Tyrone the second question was, could you name the captain of the winning team from Knockcroghery? Everybody got it right," continued Mr Earley. The Roscommon great referred to what was said in the church earlier in the morning about Murray's humility, passion and loyalty. "He was the leader of Roscommon in five All-Ireland finals. Nobody had ever done that before or has done it since - two draws, two wins and one loss. A winner of a junior medal in 1940 he played at centre-forward in all of those finals. Can we visualise leading your county five times around Croke Park? "I never saw him play and an awful lot of us here didn't. However, I feel I know how he kicked every ball. I can imagine, as was beautifully said in the church, Phelim (Murray) jumping six foot in the air. I can see Jimmy going to pick up the break and coming forward on a solo run and setting up an attack. Getting fouled perhaps and and tossing the ball to Donal Keenan and impishly saying 'tap it over Doc', which he always did. I can see the passion required coming from Jimmy from the many, many times that I met him. That passion would bring the team to greater success when the chips were down. It was down to leadership." Mr Earley went on to say that Murray was the first man to bring the Sam Maguire across the Shannon twice. Apart from his football ability and his leadership that was required to bring the Sam Maguire Cup twice in a row to Roscommon, the former Michael Glavey's player added that there was much more to the man. "I loved his passion, the passion he had for the county and for the game. He often visited the dressing room when we played. He wanted us to go harder, do better, and play stronger. 'Get stuck in' he would say. You couldn't but after hearing Jimmy Murray speak. He was our leader as president of the County Board for so long, someone you asked for advice and guidance about GAA matters. He was a special man" he explained. "It was a privilege to have known him, to have been influenced by him, to have received advice from him and to know when you acted upon it, it worked. I could have changed everything I am saying as I walked up from the church to here because so many people related different stories of different events and different times. "The first man I met when I got out of the car this morning was Gerry O'Malley. Someone said 'sad day Gerry'. He said, 'no I'm not sad, I'm just lonely'. We're not sad because Jimmy Murray achieved so much for us. He showed us the way." When Mick Miley brought the Tom Markham Cup in to his house on the way back from Ennis, Mr Earley explained that Murray was so proud of the way Roscommon had played that year. "It was the way he played, the way he showed us how to play and how to win. It wasn't all about winning. It was about the performance, the commitment, be proud of your county and so your very best he always said. "In Roscommon parlance we'd say a mighty man. It was wonderful to be influenced by him. I have not met anybody with a passion he had for his county. And that had been respected and known by so many people all over Ireland. And so many people who wanted to visit him in the pub down in the village and who would want to go back again and say, I was in Knockcroghery and I met Jimmy Murray," he remarked. Then Mr Earley quoted form one of Seamus Heaney's poems which said the following: 'And we all know one thing by being there. The space we stood around had been emptied into us to keep.' "It is our responsibility now to take on the goals, the ideas, the challenges that Jimmy Murray overcame and to bring with us all the great memories, all the great deeds all the great actions an those special wins in 1943 and 1944 into the future so that we can do better things for our county. He would be extremely proud if that were to happen. "We send him off well with wonderful memories. In heaven I'm sure the number 11 jersey has been passed out to you and you're ready to play and toss the ball around again," he concluded. John Johnstone then recited the song "The Ballad of Jimmy Murray". An ability to encourage and inspire Jimmy Murray's words of encouragement were an inspiration to many GAA people, not only in Roscommon but all over Ireland, according to Michael McGuire. The county board chairman also reflected in the Knockcroghery natives honest, down to earth personality as he remembered Roscommon's All-Ireland winning senior captain. "He was a friend to many people. He always wanted to see Roscommon football on the front foot. His stories were so simple but they inspired so many people", he explained. Expressing his sympathy on behalf of Roscommon County Board to the Murray family on the loss "of a great man", Mr MaGuire remembered Murray's early days and how he became such a fantastic player. "He was a perfectionist and he set himself goals in Gaelic football. He dreamed of being in Croke Park and collecting Sam Maguire. In many ways, he was ahead of his time", the chairman continued. Mr MCGuire referred to the respect throughout Ireland of Jimmy Murray, a former president of Roscommon County Board, and how he influenced the GAA in Roscommon. "His influence was indicative of the type of man he was. He wanted to share his achievements with everyone. He was the most honest, down to earth person that one could meet anywhere. "However, he was quick to caution us about resting on our laurels. I think he was please with the direction Roscommon GAA had been heading during 2006. He offered us encouragement. He was a friend to so many people, "remarked Mr MaGuire. The chairman went on to say that the county's bad press in 2005 hurt Jimmy Murray, but his words of encouragement remained constant. "Of course it hurt him to see Roscommon's name being dragged through the mud but he just wanted teams back playing football. He made the country's name great on playing field of Ireland". One of Mr MacGuire's most memorable moments during his tenure as chairman was when the Roscommon minor team stopped off in Murray's, Knockcroghery with the Tom Markham Cup. "He was so happy that night. To have another All-Ireland title back in Roscommon meant the world to him. "He encouraged the county board to give their best, as he did with his team mates. He never criticised anyone. He just wanted people to keep working hard. "One really appreciated his importance and iconic status when you stepped outside county Roscommon. There were so many great stories about him. He told some great stories himself and he always made you feel part of them. Then he'd finish with a song, which was always wonderful," remembered the chairman. McGuire also said that Jimmy Murray would be missed socially and how he wasn't afraid to share his views when he addressed the Roscommon convention during his terms as president. An iconic figure - Brennan GAA President, Nicky Brennan, referred to the late Jimmy Murray as an iconic figure in the annals of the GAA. Mr Brennan said, that Roscommon's most famous GAA son was among the greatest gentlemen in sport. Noting that Murray was only one of six men in the eh history of the Association to hoist the Sam Maguire twice in victory, he added the Murray was within touching distance of being truly unique when Roscommon were defeated by Kerry in a replay in 1946 when he was captain once more. "He was respected and revered where people discussed man versus man in the playing arena. Men like Paddy Bawn Brosnan spoke of the small, skillful and inspiring captain with respect and admiration, a man who always weaved athletic magic when his county needed it most," said Mr Brennan. "With his brother Phelim and men like the late President of the GAA, Mr Donal Keenan, Jimmy brought unprecedented success to Roscommon in 1943 and 1944. He lived to see this year's Roscommon minors defeat Kerry in an epic All-Ireland replay and died in the knowledge that the flame he ignited over 60 years ago still shone brightly," he continued. Mr Brennan added that Murray's passing cast a cloud over the GAA nationally, but his memory will live on and those who were fortunate enough to have seen him are left with an indelible impression of greatness of deed and kindness of spirit. The GAA president went on to express his condolences to the Murray family and stated: "ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann". So much to admire about a remarkable man To write an appreciation of Jimmy Murray is an almost impossible task. There was so much to admire about this remarkable man that a few paragraphs are so inadequate. In common with everyone under the age of 50, I never saw Jimmy Murray play football but I was raised on stories about his incredible prowess on the field of play and as a great leader of men. In later years I got to know 'Jamsie' in person and what a man he was. Over the years we hardly ever passed the door of his pub in Knockcroghery without calling gin. Whether it was a GAA game, club or county, golf outings, rugby or soccer games, it didn't matter. We always called and so did many more. It was always the same. The chat would start, the stories would be told and always without fuss. 'Jamsie' would pull up a stool quietly and he would join in the conversation. He was a brilliant story teller and a very good historian. He loved his native village of Knockcroghery dearly and it always showed. I have lost count of the nights that we finished with a song from Jimmy. He had the sweetest singing voice, as good as I have ever heard. He was a great Roscommon man. I interviewed him at least five times over the years. He was incredibly proud of what he and his team mates achieved in the 1940s. The fact that his brother Phelim was there too made it even more of an achievement in his eyes. His face visibly lit up when he talked about Phelim who was by common consent the greatest player of them all. He rang me many times over the year to point out something that was said on the radio during the day, that he did not agree with or maybe if we did not cover one match or another. He never got angry or shouted but when Jimmy Murray had something to say, you listened. I also had the pleasure of playing golf with Jimmy on numerous occasions, and even in later years he was well able to play to his handicap. He loved his weekly 18 holes in Roscommon Golf Club. The funeral was a sad affair but it was a celebration too of a fantastic long life and one of the greatest Roscommon men who ever lived. When the funeral service was over, we adjourned to Walshe's pub in Knockcroghery. GAA people. rugby people, soccer people, local people and visitors alike raised a glass in memory of a legend. Later in the evening there was a sing song. We sang the songs that Jamsie loved so much - The Leavin' of Nacy, The Wearing of the Green, The Town I loved So Well. The songs were sung with reverence and dignity. You could hear a pin drop. It was a magical evening of sadness and celebration and I know that he would have approved. The one song we didn't sing was The West's Awake. There was only one man to sing that song. Ni beigh a leithid an aris - Seamus Drake, Roscommon County Board PRO KTBL - the secret to success KTBL - 'Keep the ball low'. It's as simple as that if you want to beat Kerry. Roscommon faced red-hot favourites Kerry in the All-Ireland Final of 1944. Kerry had a team of stars, big men and high fielders. Roscommon beat them by 1-9 to 2-4. They kept the ball low. John Joe Nerney from Boyle, corner-forward in the 1944 final, remembers the mantra well: "We had collective training for two weeks before the match. We stayed in the old infirmary in Roscommon. KTBL was written up all over the place. You'd be eaten if you didn't play the ball low." Raymond Smith, in his article "Jimmy Murray and the Men of Roscommon" recounts the KTBL tactic: "The trainer, Billy Keogh, put a notice, over each player's bed: Keep the ball low". "It was in the dinning hall , in the corridors - in fact everywhere you went - that maxim", recalled team captain Jimmy Murray later. "You could not escape it. And we kept it." For John Joe Nerney, 1944 was a fairytale year. He was unexpectedly called up to the Roscommon team early in the season. That championship culminated in a second All-Ireland title for the county. He also met the late Jimmy Murray for the first time. "I first met Jimmy in 1944. I was brought in for Liam Gilmartin who was injured. I played at left-corner forward in a challenge match against Sligo," he recalls. Speaking with John Joe it's easy to see the respect and admiration he holds for Jimmy Murray, as a person, as a player and as a captain: "He was a great leader and a great man for a pep talk. He'd want you to get into it straight away. Everybody looked up to him. As a centre-forward, he was able to size up things and distribute the ball." Although the passing of Jimmy Murray closes a glorious chapter in the he annals of Roscommon football, one thing is guaranteed. Whenever Roscommon football is discussed the name of Jimmy Murray will always be mentioned. The glory days of Roscommon seem a long time ago, 60-odd years and counting, but it's fitting that Jimmy would go to his eternal reward with Roscommon as reigning All-Ireland minor champions and perhaps on the brink of a glorious new era. But though it seems a lifetime away, the mark of the great man is captured in the almost reverential way his exploits are recounted, as if they happened in the recent past. Jimmy is the iconic figure of Roscommon football. Whenever anything positive occurs or is discussed, invariably Jimmy's name was, is, and will be mentioned. To be a legend is rare, to be a legend in your own lifetime is rarer still. He has the notable distinction of being just one of six men having the honour of being presented with the Sam Maguire twice. The six men who achieved this unique honour are without question, legends of our national game - Jimmy Murray (Roscommon), John Joe Reilly (Cavan), Sean Flanaghan (Mayo), Enda Colleran (Galway), Tony Hanahoe (Dublin) and Joe Barrett (Kerry). Exalted company indeed. Jimmy played his greatest football against Kerry, beating them in 1944, unluckily losing to the Kingdom in 1946. As Raymond Smith put in his article. "The 1946 replay marked the end of a glorious chapter of Kerry/Roscommon duels, which for dramatic content have only been equalled since Dublin and Kerry in their most memorable hours. The 1944 final was the prologue, the 1946 replay the epilogue." Roscommon's rose to footballing domination in the early to mid 1940s coincide with Jimmy Murray's rise in becoming one of the best players of his, and indeed any generation. He terrorised hosts of defenses, his performances in the drawn 1946 final causing Kerry great Joe Keohane to utter: "We were only looking on at you for long periods today, Jimmy." It is incredible to consider that Roscommon languished as a junior side in 1939, but the 1946 had contested three All-Irelands, winning two and as is generally agreed, should have won a third in 1946. Jimmy and Roscommon had dominated the 1946 final for 50 minutes. A facial injury forced him to leave the field and Kerry, taking advantage of Jimmy's absence, scored two goals, one a "soft" goal to force the tie to a replay that Kerry subsequently won. The rivalry between Roscommon and Kerry generated intense, fiercely contested finals. But it is clear to see that both sides played hard but fair, and mutual respect, admiration and friendship grew between. One of Jimmy's greatest friends in football was the teak tough man from Dingle, Paddy 'Bawn' Brosnan. Commenting on his duels with Kerry, Jimmy once said, "Kerry are great sportsmen, they play it as tough as any on the field but immediately the final whistle sounds they will shake hands with you and there is never any ill feeling." John Joe Nerney also recalls the sporting nature of the 1944 final: "I was marking Tadhg Healy.You were never considered true champions until you beat Kerry. Anyone could play football against Kerry. They played proper football. They never stooped to elbowing or negative tactics," he remarks. Kerry were the kingpins of Gaelic football by 1944, having already won 15 All-Ireland titles. There were strong favourites to win again. Witnessed by the largest attendance - 79,247 - at a sporting event ever held in Ireland, Roscommon defeated the favourites by two points. The true genius of Jimmy Murray came to the fore during the game. Roscommon had decided that to beat Kerry you had to beat them at their own game and 'out-football' them. Jimmy, picked at centre-forward, played almost out at midfield, gathering breaking ball and feeding it in low to his forwards, curbing the threat of the high fielding Kerry defence. Although a fortunate Kerry defeated Roscommon in the 1946 final, truly the early to mid-forties belonged to Roscommon football and Jimmy Murray. Knockcroghery says goodbye to its fondest son What regard you have for a GAA figure depends on how much sport, especially GAA, means to you. I met Jimmy Murray for the first time in the autumn of 2001. I wandered into Murray's Bar. It wasn't long before I was talking to a man dressed in the neatest of three piece suits. To my surprise (and subsequent embarrassment when I saw the list of names), Jimmy asked me to sign the famous guestbook. And what a guest book it is. I'd go as far as saying that a member of every All-Ireland winning team over the last 50 years has either signed the guestbook or is pictured with the double-winning Roscommon captain. The collection of memorabilia in Murray's Bar is fascinating. Players from different areas and various eras have visited Murray's Bar. Everyone takes something different from his/her visit. I, like many, marvelled at the famous ball dangling from the ceiling. It is one of the GAA's famous images, right up there with the picture of Mick Mackey and Christy Ring during the 1957 Munster Championship, Mackey appearing to 'have a go' at Ring as he leaves the field of play holding his arm. The strength of an image dictates the importance of the moment, a person or occasion to each individual. The image of Jimmy Murray is akin to what Latin is to literature - a subject that is always respected. Latin in its written form is 2,500 years old. The legend of Jamsie will surpass that time frame. No arguments there. Everyone can recall their first meeting, some can recall seeing him playing in the flesh. My father recalls cycling from Turloughmore to ge the train from Athenry to Ballinasloe in 1948 for the clash of Galway and Roscommon in the Connacht Competition. He remembers sitting on the railway sleepers in 1956 at St Colman's Par, a pitch that Jamsie always claimed was a terrific pitch to play on. Given its sponge-like surface, there was 'a good give' in the ground. There were very few injuries as a result. If a legacy is a gift by will, then the famous captain's memories reach far beyond the game of football. Decent people are respected for the kind of people they are. Jamsie was regarded as a genuine character. The fact that he was good at football was a bonus, which sees him regarded as the most famous figure in Roscommon during the last 100 years. I'll never forget attending a club championship match in Tulsk involving St Dominic's and St Croan's a few years ago. I was sitting beside Jamsie. The roars and passion in his voice didn't sound like what one would expect from a man who was born at the end of World War1. He was in his eighties but he was young. And he wore his heart on his sleeve. For periods lasting two and three minutes at a time, he would leap from his seat before freezing in a crouched position. One of those tidy suits of his replaced the familiar sight of a football jersey from the earlier years. But I'm sure he would have played his part there and then if somebody handed him a pair of boots. He never moved during those tense moments. Nor did he blink. I didn't move either. Nor did I blink. I was turned away from play momentarily, amazed and appreciative of this enthusiastic supporter who occupied the seat next to me. Moments later, it was Jamsie who was able to tell me who got the last score. I had taken my eye off the ball. He hadn't. Jamsie never took his eye off the ball. Every action and emotion was carried out in his elder years as if he ever aged at all. I used to find it strange, comical and yet wonderfully unique how the the famous man would go about his business. He would often call into the Roscommon Herald offices in Roscommon town on a friday morning, wearing a suit of course. Customers would remark how great he was to be still out and about at his age. some needed both the desk and the door for support when they were told that the same man still drove a car and regularly played nine holes of golf. The older Jamsie got, the more famous he became. However, he always remained his gentle self. Murray's Bar didn't become one of the 'must visit' places for GAA fans just because it housed great memories. That its proprietor was popular was as important as his football career. Otherwise, the novelty would have worn off. But it hasn't. And we hope it never will. Despite the hundreds and possible thousands of times the 1934/44 captain took both his time and treasured possessions out to the many, many curious customers, it was something that he never grew tired of. His enthusiasm never waned. A few years back, St Dominic's were in search of a manager to look after the intermediate football team. Obviously worried that the team were losing valuable training time, the great man decided to act swiftly. I was shown a copy of the note that was sent around to the squad members by a father of one of the players. It was a short message basically informing the players of the date, time and venue for training with a "make sure to bring your boots". That a man who almost 60 years earlier brought the Sam Maguire Cup to Roscommon for the first time should still want to take such an active role in the local GAA club speaks volumes. Indeed, Jamsie was ine of only six players ever to captain two All-Ireland winning senior teams. And of course that should have been three. Little did the captain think as his face was being wiped, having come off with an injury, with ten minutes remaining against Kerry in the 1946 final, that the Kingdom would hit back with two goals before going on to win the replay. How near he was to captaining Roscommon to three All-Ireland titles at senior level. He was the leader of a team that were languishing in the junior ranks a few weeks earlier. Jamsie was rated highly among Kerry folk. In Gaelic games language, that means he was excellent. I always try to picture what it must have been like to go to games a half century ago. I often jogged, sometimes walked (usually walked) around the Lough Road where St Coman's Park is situated and tried to picture what it must have been like back in those days when fans sat on railway sleepers at games like my father told me. I would always think of Jimmy Murray's praise of the pitches surface. You'd sometimes wonder how games were played there at all given the enormous floods that engulf the pitch and surrounding lands several times a year. Some say people become more famous when they pass away. The late Jimmy Murray was lucky enough to live through six decades of being the most famous person in the county. A fond farewell to Mr Roscommon. Courtesy of the Roscommon Herald 30 January 2007 Tributes to a Gentleman "I know of Jimmy's reputation as a Roscommon centre-forward. He is widely recognised as one of football's all-time greats. He wrecked havoc among opposing defenses and was a very clever footballer" - An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern "He was respected and revered where people discussed man versus man in the playing arena" - GAA President, Nicky Brennan "He was a perfectionist and he set himself goals in Gaelic football. He dreamed of being in Croke Park and collecting Sam Maguire. In many ways, he was ahead of his time" - Roscommon County Board Chairman, Michael Maguire " Not only was Jimmy Murray a great legend on the football pitch, but he was also the premier ambassador for our county" - Denis Naughten, TD "He was a great leader and a great man for a pep talk. He'd want you to get into it straight away. Everybody looked up to him" - Former team mate, John Joe Nerney "Jamsie's wish was that no one would get hurt. He understood the struggle of his neighbours and empathised with them. His generosity was everywhere" - Canon Peadar Lavin, PP, Knockcroghery and St Dominic's Chairman The death of Roscommon's All-Ireland winning captain of 1943/44, Jimmy Murray, will leave a great void, not only in GAA circles but throughout County Roscommon," reflected Denis Naughten, TD. "Not only was Jimmy Murray a great legend on the football pitch, but he was also the premier ambassador for our county. "His passing will be felt even more deeply by his family, whom he cherished and adored. I wish to express my heartfelt sympathy to them," he said- Denis Naughten, TD. An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, expressed his deep sadness, at the death of Jimmy Murray. "I know Jimmy's reputation as a Roscommon centre-forward. He is widely recognised as one of football's all-time greats. He wrecked havoc among opposing defenses and was a very clever footballer. I extend my deepest sympathies to his son, Michael and family," he said. Jimmy's son Commandant Michael Murray, is the Taoiseach's Aide de Camp (ADC). Minister of Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue, TD, recalled the numerous conversations he held with the late Jimmy Murray about football when he paid tribute to the Knockcroghery native. Describing him as one of Ireland's finest footballers, Minister O'Donoghue said that Murray was a true sportsman and was respected by his own team mates and opponents alike. "As a great personal friend of mine, I visited him in his home in Knockcroghery on a number of occasions when we discussed the state of Gaelic football and, in particular, the fortunes of his beloved Roscommon. "It is people with dedication and commitment to their sport and to their county like Jimmy Murray that have enriched the gaelic Association and its communities," he said. Courtesy of the Rocommon Herald 30 January 2007 Tweet

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