Death of Con Murphy:Tributes have been paid to the former GAA president Con Murphy, who died in Cork yesterday aged 84. He had continued to be active in the association after his presidency but had been unwell recently and missed the annual congress in Kilkenny
Through decades of involvement he served as a top-class hurler, referee and administrator. He was also a former member of the RTÉ Authority.
A native of Inishannon and a member of the Valley Rovers club, he came to prominence as a player at an early age and won Harty Cup honours with his school, North Monastery.
Within a year of leaving school in 1941 he had graduated to the Cork senior team and was a member of the 1942 All-Ireland winning team. The county was en route to a record four-in-a-row and Murphy also played in 1943 and 1944, either as left corner back or centre back.
He was still on the side that added the 1946 title and won a further Munster medal in 1947.
He refereed the 1948 and 1950 All-Ireland finals.
In 1953 he became secretary of the Cork county board, in which capacity he served until 1973. As secretary, he played a major role in the redevelopment of the old Athletic Grounds into what is now Páirc Uí Chaoimh, a project completed in 1976.
The same year he was elected president of the GAA.
One priority of his presidency was to lobby on behalf of Crossmaglen Rangers, whose grounds in south Armagh were occupied by the British army. Murphy led a delegation to Westminster and was credited with saving the property from being requisitioned in full in 1978.
After his presidency he departed from the norm by continued to take part in GAA administration, serving as treasurer, vice-chair and chair of the Cork county board.
Until his death he was a familiar figure at the GAA's annual congress, where he was a frequent contributor to debates.
For most of his working life he was a health board official. In later years he ran his own business.
President Nickey Brennan said of his predecessor: "He was part and parcel of everything that was good in the association. Very few people in the GAA saw as much change as he did over the years and he participated in it all as a player, administrator and ultimately as president."
Christy Cooney, a former chair of the Cork county board and a candidate in next year's election, said: "He worked his way up from grass roots level to the very highest office in the GAA. He always had very strong views . . . and was always extremely fair."
As a mark of respect, RTÉ's launch of their 2007 live championship schedules has been postponed from today till Wednesday and this afternoon's All Stars review has been deferred.
