Celebrated Irish rugby player James Murphy-O’Connor, who attended Prior Park College in Bath, where his son is now headmaster, has died at the age of 89.
Mr Murphy-O’Connor, the oldest brother of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, now Roman Catholic Archbiship Emeritus of Westminster, was 6ft 6in and the tallest player to represent Ireland when he played at Twickenham in 1954.
A medical doctor, he also played for Irish team Leinster.
He attended Prior Park College, then a boys’ Catholic boarding school, along with his four brothers.
The school is very proud of its links with the Murphy-O’Connor family, and the Cardinal often visits for speech day or other events - he also attends Bath rugby home games.
The younger James Murphy-O’Connor, one of six children, became head of his father’s old school after the retirement of Dr Giles Mercer in 2009, which gave his father great pride.
His father was a forward, and was most famous for developing the kicking technique of hitting the ball with the instep of his boot rather than the traditional toe cap ‘punt’ that most kickers used at the time.
The technique is used by top kickers today.
The family has its origins in Cork, Ireland, and his decision to play for Leinster brought mild criticism from his father and uncle, both of whom had captained Munster.
His son James, a keen rugby supporter, is a champion of sport at Prior Park College, where he has led the initiative to build a new multi-million pound state-of-the art sports hall, which is currently under construction.
He also teaches history at the school, which is a famous landmark in the city, and is now open to boys and girls, both boarding and day pupils.
He lives in Bath with his wife, Alison, and their four children.
The funeral of his father took place on Wednesday at Saint Joseph’s, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, and was attended by dignitaries from the religious, medical and teaching professions.
Article source: http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/lifestyle/active-2014/city-rugby-event-to-be-scrum-thing-special-161700n.24063876
Tribute to Ireland rugby player and former Prior Park College pupil James ...
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