'Other kids with CF were told to stay indoors, I was told to get out and play'
CHRIS MURPHY
The great sporting and hospitality traditions of the ancient Tailteann Aonach will be to the fore at the second annual Joe Murphy Memorial GAA match, held in aid of Cystic Fibrosis in the old Kells GAA Park on Saturday, 22nd July.
All in a great cause and with serious bragging rights at stake, a team of local heroes, including former county star Joe’s son Paul, take to the field for a 6pm throw-in against another heroic band of brothers, that boasts among its illustrious ranks, All-Ireland winning captains Graham Geraghty and Tommy Dowd, double Footballer of the Year, Trevor Giles, the effervescent Millennium man Martin O’Connell, and the rocket man Ollie Murphy.
As a person with CF himself, Joe’s son Paul said: “As a family, we can’t thank everyone enough for their support. I’m very lucky to have a family and friends who have encouraged, and helped me throughout my life, both with sports and my health. My mam Ailish and dad Joe also did a lot of fundraising for CF over the years, and I believe their approach and the GAA are major factors in why I surpassed my life expectancy so many times; other kids with CF were told to stay indoors, and I was told to get out and play. The GAA is a huge community thing, a family thing, people want to see you doing well, they always want to help.
“After Dad’s passing in 2019, a lot of people suggested a memorial game, and it was something I really wanted to do then.”
A sister and aunt of Walterstown’s All-Ireland and All-Star father and son duo, Pat and Paddy Reynolds, Paul’s mother Ailish kept him in the best shape possible, and managed home operations for the five Murphy children, all brought up with a deep love of the game, and very proud of Joe’s own on footballing career, and his impact locally, both as a player and coach.
Paul said: “Losing to Kerry in the 1970 All-Ireland final was a disappointment for Dad, but he loved being part of the game more than anything else. He won two senior county championships with Gael Colmcille, and later a Junior title with Drumbaragh. Once he started coaching, he was never allowed give it up. Every January the phone started ringing.
“He got us on the road at underage in Kells, and in his time, he coached among others, Carnaross, Saint Michael’s, Wolfe Tones and Kilmainham, and loved them all. He thrived on the competition and craic, and the camaraderie; always consoling lads after a loss, saying its only football not the end of the world, having convinced them before the game the win meant everything. He was also a big fan of the ladies’ game, and it was a real pity he wasn’t around for Meath Ladies recent successes.”
Given his initial single digit life expectancy diagnosis, and subsequent life-long battle with CF, Paul’s own football career is no less impressive. After winning several underage national tournaments with Kells, and county titles at every grade up to and including U-21, he had a long senior career with Gael Colmcille, where he’s now involved in coaching. Paul even had a stint with the Aidan McAnespie's GFC in Boston, where he eclipsed Dublin legend Joe McNally as the club’s stop scorer.
“My mates’ joke is ‘Sure, he’s flying, he has no CF at all!’ But they all know it’s never been smooth sailing, and there have been some very tough times, when I thought it might be the beginning of the end.
“I always worked very hard at exercise, and have had to take multiple medications to keep my lung function up and chest infections away, but which are also tough on the body; and none of this stops Cystic Fibrosis, it only helps slow its progression. Throughout my life, I’ve regularly spent months in hospital due to severe chest infections; but, at 47, I’ve surpassed all the life expectancy predictions so far, and intend to keep doing so.
“When I was playing football, I took it as it came, but it was very frustrating when I’d be really short of breath, to hear that people who didn’t know anything about CF, were saying things like I wasn’t playing football to my potential because I wasn’t trying or I was out galivanting too much.
“Still though, I didn’t like to be known as the guy with CF, so I kept my distance from that stuff, and also the fundraising my family did; but now I want to support the charity that helped save my life.
“By November 2020, despite my best efforts, CF finally started to get the upper hand. I was down to 30 percent of normal lung function; you struggle to breathe at all, and spend nights constantly coughing, and then exhausted at work the next day from no sleep. Getting out of bed was the most challenging job of the day, as my lungs would close more during the night. I’d spend hours in the morning on a nebuliser machine, inhaling Ventolin and antibiotics before I’d even make it to the shower to start my day.
“After four weeks of intense intravenous antibiotics, physiotherapy, and as much exercise as possible, my lung function only increased by one percent. The time had arrived; Cystic Fibrosis was winning the battle. Getting on the donor list for a heart and lung transplant was my only hope.
“Thankfully though, my fight all along, to stay alive until proper treatments were found, did pay off, with a new wonder drug called Kaftrio finally getting EU approval around the same time. This, and other new drugs mean people with Cystic fibrosis can now breathe, and without fear, an incredible sensation that people without CF or lung problems take for granted.
“I was one of the lucky ones. It's not a cure, but I’m flying now compared to the past; if this drug hadn’t arrived until six months later, I probably wouldn’t be here now, it saved my life. Sadly, it was too late for some people, which breaks my heart. Thankfully no one else in my family has CF, but I have nephews with the CF gene, which means their children may have CF. I want to make sure the research continues, so that one day CF is no longer a life debilitating disease, but a manageable one for all who live with it. And, who knows, the research teams are even talking of a potential cure now.
“This is why I’m holding this match of Meath Heroes versus Local Heroes; for my Dad, and my Mam and family, and friends, clubmates and old rivals, and townies, for the community, and everyone else that helped keep me going. I mean, if you’re asking folks for money, you have to provide top class entertainment, and I’m so very grateful to all the players from near and far who have answered the call, and also everyone at Gael Colmcille; they’re all legends.”
Ever dismissive of his own heroic status, when asked if he would be lining out himself, Paul said, “I’d love to, we’ll see how the body is on the day. It’s all great fun in a great cause, but sure, you know, the competitive instinct of all involved will keep it interesting; my cousin Paddy Reynolds is playing, and while Mam will be neutral, I can only imagine the roars of Dad if he was here. I just hope we’ll get a great crowd.”
Details – FREE ENTRY Local Heroes vs Meath Heroes – Joe Murphy Memorial Cup in aid of CF. The old Kells GAA Park, Saturday, July 22nd, throw-in 6pm.
A great event for all the family for a great cause. Donations to CF on the day appreciated. Donate on the Gofundme - Joe Murphy Memorial Cup in aid of CF.