There’s some number-crunching to be done with Noelle Murray, because it’s hard to keep up.
Will this be your 10th FAI Cup final?
“You know what, I’ve the worst memory in the world,” says the Shelbourne forward. “I’m actually Googling myself and it says six on my Wikipedia page - so I’m assuming this will be the seventh?”
So, she needs to be taken on a trip down memory lane. Her first, when she was 17, was in 2007 with Raheny against a Galway League side.
“We lost.”
You did. A promising young one by the name of Niamh Fahey scored the winner from a penalty 15 minutes from time. And you had an unfortunate moment at the end of the game? “I did. I saw red.”
Murray’s next final, in 2011, was an infinitely happier day, her two worldies - a volley from the edge of the box and then the coolest of finishes after she weaved her way through Wilton United’s defence - sending St Catherine’s on their way to a 3-1 win at at Turner’s Cross.
Another name that might ring a bell, Denise O’Sullivan, was on the Wilton side that day, while among Murray’s teammates were the multi-talented Hannah Tyrrell (rugby international and All-Ireland football winner with Dublin), Mary Waldron (the former soccer and cricket international) and Kim Flood (another rugby international and Dublin Gaelic footballer).
“They all went on to have unbelievable achievements in sport,” she says. “And my memory of Denise was just her being a phenomenal player. She was only 16, 17, but even then you just knew she was going to go on and do something really good in women’s football. And look at the career she’s built, she’s an inspiration.”
Murray moved back to Raheny the following season and was part of the team that won three FAI Cups in a row, scoring the 90th-minute winner in the first of their triumphs.
After Raheny became Shelbourne, she played in four more finals, losing two and winning two. Last year’s victory over Athlone Town - who Shelbourne meet again on Sunday - brought her collection of winner’s medals to six. Some record.
“More happy days than sad,” she says. “But I can’t believe this will be my 10th final. God.”
Shelbourne’s success through Murray’s time with the club, which is closing in on two decades (with brief interludes at Catherine’s, Shamrock Rovers and Glasgow City along the way), has been all the more remarkable considering the players they’ve lost during that spell.
“I waved off so many of my teammates,” she says, among them one of her best friends to this day. Katie McCabe set sail for Arsenal in 2015. More recently, a heap of senior internationals followed, including Leanne Kiernan, Izzy Atkinson, Jamie Finn, Emily Whelan, Ciara Grant, Chloe Mustaki, Jess Ziu, Roma McLaughlin Saoirse Noonan and, via Rovers, Abbie Larkin.
“And it is hard losing players of that quality, but we’re kind of used to it by now - we keep producing some of the best players in the country and it’s inevitable that they’re going to look to go abroad eventually. And I’m all for it, I’ve done it myself. So when people ask my opinion about going away, I’d always say ‘try it’. You could hate it and want to come home after two or three weeks, or you could love it and thrive. But you’ll never know until you give it a try.”
Murray spent the 2017 season in Glasgow, where she was reunited with McCabe, who was on loan from Arsenal, and where fellow internationals Savannah McCarthy and Keeva Keenan were also teammates. She loved the year, picking up a league winner’s medal while there, but despite being offered a new contract, she chose to return home to Shelbourne.
“It was something I always wanted to do but, for whatever reason, I kind of stalled on making the move. In the end I decided to give it a go with Glasgow, I was 27 so it was now or never. I had the best year over there, I loved it, but even though I was a professional, there wasn’t a huge difference in the amount of training we did. That’s probably why I decided just to do the year. I thought I could be living at home and playing just as much football and getting myself back to work. It was an easy decision in the end.”
But did it cost her more senior international caps, her 11th and last coming in March 2017.
“I don’t know, maybe if I did do another year or two at Glasgow or looked to go somewhere else I could have had a better international career, but look, I’m happy out.”
“Colin Bell was the manager then and he talked about keeping an eye on myself, Keeva and Sav and coming to Glasgow to watch us play, but none of that ever happened and no explanation was given. So that was that, really.”
“And it’s definitely harder for the home-based players to get in, when you see senior squads now there are barely any. So it is kind of forced into their heads that they need to go away and play professionally - but that’s okay, you can’t hold the good players back if you think they have a chance of doing well abroad and having a better career. And you always want them to do well, you wish them the best.”
Murray will be 34 on Christmas Day, so with an eye on the future she has started coaching. “I’m working with an Under-13 team in Portmarnock, loving it. I never want to give up football, but the time will come. But by doing my coaching badges I won’t have to give it up completely, I can stay involved. I’ll play until I can’t and then, yeah, it’ll be coaching for me.”
There’ll be a vacancy in that department at Shelbourne next season after Noel King’s decision to move on, but Murray won’t be applying for the role of player-manager. “Ha, no,” she laughs, “I don’t think I’d be able for that - and I only have the B licence, so that rules me out!”
“Anyway, I’d only be putting my name down on every starting team whether I deserved to play or not, so that could be a bit controversial.” Even when you’ll be, say, 56? “Probably. I’d put myself in goal.”
She’ll be up front on Sunday, aiming for that seventh winner’s medal. With her experience, she’s feeling more excitement than nervousness. “There’s a great buzz around the club, it’s just a lovely day out for your family and friends. There are no days like cup final days.” She should know, this being her 10th after all.
