Kilkenny College

and just lastly before we move on maybe to the life and times of owen murphy and where it all began and you're not dead by the way as a senior statesman 36 years of age in that group last year did you find yourself being even a little bit more supportive to the younger guys to try and keep the heads up Parnell Park I was there it was a miserable day and do you think your experience was an asset in the dressing room in a situation like that even away from the playing field

yeah I think so and I was always conscious of the very first time that I went into training in St. Ciaran's College.

We were doing a fitness test the first year that I was called in.

So it was the very end of 2010.

uh and he you know he'd ask you those questions and um you know so for me i felt maybe i was um seen as like one of the peers of the team sort of maybe one of the leaders and uh one of the trusting lads he could probably say different but you know he always nearly entrusted me to go to those media days where i wasn't going to say anything ridiculous or anything like that so um you know done a Good few of those are learned, you know, media days and stuff like that.

And, you know, maybe that was his way of saying that he knew I was one of the leaders and wasn't going to F up there.

But no, a it never changed never wavered or anything like that and like I was incredibly thankful for him like where he was brutally honest like and he did say that first when we were training out in Kilkenny College and he was we were walking out in the back pitch one of the rugby pitches after doing a gym session and pulling me aside and You know, he was just like, look, we were seeing you as a forward and as a keeper here.

We're not entirely sure which route we're going to take.

Wexford went in at half-time and came back out a different team.

Morris and Geoff, who's his partner in crime down in Kilkenny College, and Geoff Carter was our forwards coach, a really, really intelligent guy.

obviously put their heads together and came up with a different game plan for the second half.

Wexford put us right to the skin of our teeth.

... is, uh, Dr. Eddie Murphy is waiting patiently to speak to me.

He's a clinical psychologist, and he's going to be speaking to parents at Kilkenny College on Thursday about building resilience, managing anxiety, and understanding issues including neurodiversity.

Listen-

Oh, Alan, I've spoken to you before so many times, um, from, about building resilience.

Thank you, and take your listeners.

Yeah, that was Dr. Eddie Murphy there, raising resilient teenagers.

He's on his way to Kilkenny College, but as you heard, he is on Instagram.

He's very easy to contact.