All-Ireland winning Kerry captain James ‘Jas’ Murphy passes away, aged 98
The Kerry team of 1953
James 'Jas' Murphy, the oldest surviving captain of an All-Ireland winning Kerry football team, has died at the age of 98.
He was captain of the Kerry team that triumphed in the 1953 All-Ireland final win over Armagh.
From Tralee, 'Jas' began his playing career with Kerins O Rahillys but work as a Garda took him to Cork where he joined St Nick's. In 1950, he won a Cork senior football time with the Garda team.
The corner-back started his inter-county career with Cork, playing with his adopted county in 1947 and '48 before switching back to Kerry and winning Munster Championship medals in 1950, '51 and '53, winning an All-Ireland in the latter year.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Council has confirmed that next year’s Dr McKenna Cup competition will start early next month, with the first round of game set for Friday evening, January 7.
The draw for the northern province’s pre-season competition will take place within the next week, and the competition will be run off within a 15-day window, with the final group games on Saturday, January 15. The final is set for January 22.
