Wheel has come full circle for Murray

Paul Fitzpatrick

Not many footballers have won Minor and Senior Championship medals on the field of play on the same day. Niall Murray, in 2008, was one. 

Back then, the Cavan Gaels man scored 0-8 in his own age group’s decider before coming off the bench in the subsequent senior final. Eleven years on, having lined out all over the field, Murray is preparing for another huge occasion and the wheel has come full circle.

The 29-year-old has returned to his forward berth and has the added role of free-taker – but the laid-back financial services consultant is taking it all in his stride.

“How did I end up taking the frees? Well, it’s a funny thing,” he smiles, “I don’t know how it came about. We were probably struggling a bit in the league and I was talking to Mickey one day. When I was minor in 2008, when Mickey was manager, I took frees. And he goes to me ‘do you want to go back taking frees?’ and I said ‘ah yeah, I’ll practise them’.

“Since then, I stay back after training every evening for 15 or 20 minutes and take frees and we do gym on a Wednesday and I bring a lock of balls with me and kick before the gym. 

“For myself, I was thinking I was more of a back-up plan in case someone went off injured or something but sure I ended up taking them and I’m happy enough with it now. I feel comfortable taking them now.

“It’s funny, I would have liked to take them with the Gaels but between Seanie and Martin Dunne and these boys, it’s very hard to get taking any! I took them against Castlerahan this year in the league, I was playing wing-forward and then the next day I was playing centre-back and there was no point in me running up from there to kick frees when you have other boys up there.

“I would love to take them for the club but if you’re playing in the full-back line, you can’t really be running up to take frees.”

Murray won an Ulster U21 medal wearing number 11 in 2011 but he been regarded more as a defender in recent years. This season, as stated, he’s been returned to the attack and has been playing out of his skin of late.

“I had a meeting with Mickey and Martin Corey at the beginning of the year and they asked me where I wanted to play and I was thinking wing-back or corner-back and Mickey said ‘what about wing-forward?’ and I kind of laughed at him. 

“But I think it’s working, I’m absolutely delighted to be up there. I’ve finally got a full year where I haven’t picked up any knocks. I’ve got a good run at it and I’m delighted to be playing there and being able to influence the game. It’s better having someone running around after you then you running around after someone else.

“I think it nearly happened by accident by honest. In the McKenna Cup, we probably had a young squad and we didn’t have that many experienced fellas playing in the forwards. I’d say I was put up there to be a calming presence and I did okay and just kept my spot there.”

Before the team was named for the drawn game with Armagh, Murray was a bundle of nerves. Not on his own behalf, you understand – he was hoping that his younger brother Stephen (below) would make the cut.

“To be honest, I was more nervous for him than myself when the panel was being named for the Armagh game. He had been playing well in training but there are so many good players and it’s such a tight panel to get into.

“I always feel for the fellas between 26 and 40 because I’ve been there myself. Stephen was just chomping at the bit to get in. I looked for his name first rather than my own when the panel was named.

“I kind of knew by him that he was really geared up for it. He’s normally a happy-go-lucky type of fella but he was taking it very seriously on the Staurday, getting his stretches done and then he came on and, sure he was brilliant. Him and Mackey kind of got us out of jail to be honest.

“I would have seen him with the club obviously. I know the Gaels didn’t go too well last year but he was probably our best player and he kicked some big scores too. Matt McGleenan used to always be giving out to him for not taking scores because he’s so fast, even with the Gaels he would do a lot of the hard work and then someone would come off the loop and get the score. But last year he kicked a few big scores when we really needed it.

“He’s been unlucky because this is his third year in and he’s played a lot of minutes in the league but they were his first two championship appearances, they might even have been the first two times he made the squad. I was delighted for him, he put in so much work.”

Murray has been thrilled to link up again with Graham, a clubmate whom he looked up to as a child.

“The first time I would have recognised Mickey was ’97 when they won it, I was only a six-year-old and he was the main player for the Gaels at the time so I always kept an eye out for him. Then he managed our U16 and minor county teams. I never actually got to play with him, I started with the Gaels in 2008 and I think he finished in 2007. 

“He’s just a brilliant football man and he’s not afraid to try things out. For me personally, I just feel reinvigorated and re-energised this year playing in the forwards, it’s something different for me and I’m just really enjoying it.”
And that is, of course, important. The game can seem like a chore when results are not going well.

“I do love playing for Cavan but it can be difficult at times when you’re crashing out of the championship and you feel like you’ve a lot more there but things just didn’t happen for us for whatever reason, I don’t know. It’s great now, I finally feel like I’m getting a reward for all the effort I’m putting in.

“I see lads around the county who I would have played with for Cavan and they’re chomping at the bit to get back into the squad. I know a past player told me the other day that the club championship this year is going to be really interesting because every player is going to want to get back in with Cavan. That’s great to hear, I hadn’t thought of it. Everyone seems to want to play with Cavan.”

The fans, too, are buzzing.

“I am lucky I’m based in Dublin so I’ll probably keep myself away from it as much as I can. It’s more the supporters who are getting hyped up, I could even tell from my Mam and Dad at home!” Murray laughed.

“It’s a great occasion for the county. The players have slogged through enough long years without achieving success at county level.

“We believe we can put in a performance, we have certain objectives we need to meet and if we do that we will give ourselves a good chance.”