Bryan Murphy appointment caps a brilliant week for Kildare GAA

Days after intercounty manager Davy Burke was added to Brian Flanagan's team, Bryan Murphy has been appointed Head of Football Development for Kildare GAA in yet another progressive step.

The Cork-native Murphy is highly thought of in Kildare footballing circles and was narrowly beaten by Mick Mullen to be elected chairman of Kildare GAA late last year and will now move into a newly-created football development position. A role that has existed in hurling, headed by John Burke, with great success in recent years.

The former Kildare senior footballer, as well as Minor and U21 manager said to the Leinster Leader last November that Kildare "are not achieving greater than the sum of the parts" and Murphy is now the man at the head of a committee trying to fix that in his new role.

All concerned with the recruitment of Davy Burke, a seasoned intercounty manager, as a coach were praised and similar fanfare should take place here. Murphy is a knowledge-bound Kildare GAA figure with a history of structural success, who is now in a position to do even more. Kildare GAA have seemingly taken positive steps to become a collaborative effort towards success at all levels within the county with these high-profile (re-)introductions.

Speaking with the Leinster Leader during his bid to be chairman, Murphy said: “If Mick (Mullen) was to get the job and he wanted me to help him in some shape or form I would be happy to try and do so” adding “ this is not about me, not about any one individual, this is solely about Kildare football and hurling” and so it has come to pass.

The Clane convert was previously tasked with the creation of Kildare GAA's development squad structures, a set-up which would later bare the fruit of Kildare winning the inaugural U20 All-Ireland Football Championship under Davy Burke in a poetic cap to the week's news.

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