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Michael Murphy A Fan Of 'Cleaner' Split GAA Season

30 October 2016; Michael Murphy of Glenswilly during the AIB Ulster GAA Football Senior Club Championship quarter-final game between Kilcoo and Glenswilly at Pairc Esler, Newry, Co. Down. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile
PJ Browne
By PJ Browne
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Just like Limerick hurler Gearóid Hegarty, Michael Murphy is a fan of the new split GAA season.

"As somebody who's playing inter-county, it's definitely cleaner," the Donegal footballer told RTÉ Radio One's Sunday Sport.

"We had league, you knew as a county player that you weren't going to play any of the league with your club. Before, you would have played maybe three or four games sporadically throughout the inter-county GAA season.

"It definitely gives you a clear focus, a clear cut. When your county season is over, you're straight in with your club. There's none of this trying to please both, and do a bit with your club, and bit with your county.

"It means that you're probably away from your club for four or five months of the year, but it means then that when you go back to your club, you're able to throw it all in 100 per cent. That's the part I certainly like about it."

Murphy was speaking after his side's 2-14 to 2-9 victory over Glenfin in the Donegal Senior Football Championship.

michael murphy donegal glenswilly split season

16 October 2016; Michael Murphy and Gary McFadden of Glenswilly celebrates after the game in the Donegal GAA County Senior Club Football Championship Final game between Kilcar and Glenswilly at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

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"There was a brilliant crowd, and the championship so far in the county has been really strong. It's been really well attended," said Murphy.

"With every club, when they're not doing well, they use that word 'transition'. From 2016 to now, we've struggled most years.

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"This is probably the most wins we would have gotten in the championship in a good few years - winning two and drawing one. A lot of our players from the championship winnings teams of '11, '13, and '16 have retired or moved on. Younger players have come in from 2017 onwards. They were thrown in at the deep end, but now that they have four or five years under their belt, they're starting to mature, and take up the mantle."

In addition to playing in the championship, the Donegal legend also sponsors the competition through his Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure shop.

"It's a rare one alright," he said.

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"You look at it, and wonder about it sometimes but we've been sponsoring it now for the last five or six years.

"Having a business in the county, you just wanted to be able to give something back towards Donegal, and we thought it'd be best to do it in that regard."

See Also: A Tribute To 10 Of The Toughest Men In History Of The GAA

michael murphy donegal glenswilly split season

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