MICHAEL Murphy has been an incredible servant to Gaelic football and all gaels in the county will miss seeing him pull on the Donegal shirt next season.
This is the second time Michael has bowed out, and this time it’s for good.
The Glenswilly man has been playing for Donegal since he was 17 and he togged out for the county minors and the development squads before that.
He has given everything he has to the cause and it has been a joy to watch him go about his business.
He was one of the best players in the game for more than a decade, then took two years out, and returned to the very top almost straight away.
I suppose when he first retired in 2022, Donegal supporters didn’t know what would become of the county team.
The 2023 season was tough going but the side had a good 2024 and others will step up going forward. That’s the nature of sport.
However, there was such a buzz around the county when word began to filter through that Michael was back in training.
And he certainly trained hard. When he returned to the team in 2025, he was in phenomenal shape for a man in his mid-thirties.
At that stage, Michael was doing a bit of punditry and he was just after getting married, and it would have been very easy to stay on the sidelines.
But he felt he could offer something so threw himself into the mix once more.
He quickly became a huge force in the team again. Michael has always been a selfless player.
He’s a great scorer himself but if someone is in a better position, then he makes the pass.
I think back to that first day when he returned against Armagh in the league and it felt like the roof in MacCumhaill Park was going to come off, he got such a welcome.
Michael was excellent that day and it was the same in the Ulster Final that year against Armagh.
He was outstanding as he won man-of-the-match that day and helped the county to another Anglo Celt Cup.
Donegal lost their next match to Tyrone but Michael was brilliant again and he was superb on the way through to the All-Ireland Final.
Unfortunately he picked up a knock and wasn’t able to train much before the last couple of games and he didn’t play at all for Glenswilly in 2025.
The injury would have put an end to the season for most players but Michael battled on and it says a lot about him that he still went on to win a fourth All-Star and was nominated for Footballer of the Year.
The 2026 season didn’t go to plan for Donegal but Michael was arguably the most consistent player in the team.
And he was man of the match in four of the games he played for Glenswilly in the Club Championship.
With that in mind, it is a bit of a surprise that he’s not going back in for 2027.
But it’s not easy on the body at his age and he has a family to consider now.
Knowing Michael, he will be frustrated that he lost two All-Ireland Finals and there will be other games that the team should have won down through the years.
But he left it all out on the pitch and was the ultimate warrior when he crossed that white line.
He steps aside with an All-Ireland medal, six Ulster medals, four All-Stars, and will go down as one of the longest serving captains of all-time.
We have had a lot of great players that have worn the green and gold jersey but for me there’s no doubt that Michael Murphy is the best player Donegal has ever had.
Michael is back out coaching Glenswilly Under 21s at the minute and he will stay involved in Gaelic Football that’s for sure.
He is also now a father and there will be plenty to keep him occupied.
Michael has given us so many great days and hopefully he can relax now and enjoy his retirement.
St Eunan’s
St Eunan’s are safely through to the Ulster Club semi-finals after a comfortable win over Erne Gaels last Saturday in Enniskillen.
The Letterkenny boys got the first three points of the match before Belleek got back on level terms.
However, St Eunan’s were just able to get scores more easily.
Erne Gaels had 15 wides on the day but they were put under a lot of pressure.
St Eunan’s were able to work their scores well and when Conor O’Donnell Jnr hit the net early in the second half, there was no way back really.
Conor was very sharp up front, while Shane O’Donnell and Ciaran Moore were influential.
Kieran Tobin stuck tightly to Ultan Kelm throughout. Ultan got some good scores but Kieran probably did as well as anyone has on him over the last six months.
One of the other big differences between the sides were the goalkeepers, and Shaun Patton was excellent on the night for St Eunan’s.
Niall O’Donnell wasn’t back for the match but he will be needed for the semi-final with Scotstown.
Kieran Donnelly isn’t making wholesale changes during matches so they will need Niall there and contributing.
It’s a big task for St Eunan’s but that’s what you want.
Scotstown are the reigning Ulster champions but they were pushed all the way by Magherafelt on Sunday.
It will take a huge effort for St Eunan’s but they have real athleticism in the middle of the field and that could hurt Scotstown who are still heavily reliant on the Hughes brothers.
Rory Beggan was lucky not to see a red card but he was good, and Scotstown have a couple of nippy forwards who are showing well.
David McCague has brought in Ronan O’Neill as a coach this year so they are going all out to try and win the All-Ireland Club.
Kieran Donnelly previously managed Scotstown so that will be an advantage for St Eunan’s as they gear up for the match.
Naomh Pádraig
Fair play to Naomh Pádraig on their great win over Kinawley on Sunday in the Ulster Intermediate Championship.
It looked like a tall order as they had to line out without Kevin Lynch, Michael McCarron and Caolan Harkin in Enniskillen.
All three were excellent in the Donegal Intermediate Championship and were big losses.
At times, Naomh Pádraig were under pressure in the match but they hung in it.
Jamie McCauley then came up trumps with the winning goal in injury-time.
McCauley was a county minor a couple of years ago but has struggled with injury this season. He was ready when his chance came.
Muff now take on Desertmartin in the Ulster semi-final.
They have Derry star Lachlan Murray in their team so it will be a big ask but Naomh Pádraig know how to get results in Ulster.
