Conor Murray Reveals Why He Switched From Hurling To Rugby As A Teenager

Conor Murray announced his retirement from professional rugby on Friday after a decorated 15 years in the red of Munster and green of Ireland.

The 36-year-old played his last game for Ireland in March, having initially suggested he would seek a move overseas at the conclusion of his Munster contract this summer.

However, Murray has now decided to call time on his rugby career, which saw him win two URC titles with Munster and five Six Nations crowns with Ireland, including Grand Slams in 2018 and 2023.

Murray will be remembered as one of the greatest Irish rugby players of all time, with his half-back partnership with Johnny Sexton defining one of the greatest eras the Ireland team has ever enjoyed.

However, were it not for the intervention of his grandfather, it could have been the Limerick hurlers that Murray made his name with.

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Conor Murray was a special guest on the first episode of The Late Late Show's new season on Friday evening, on the day he announced his retirement and released his autobiography.

Murray grew up in Patrickswell in Limerick, a town that has produced the core of the county's hurling dynasty that have been perennial winners for the past decade.

Cian Lynch, Aaron Gillane, and Diarmaid Byrnes all hail from the same area and play their club hurling for Patrickswell.

For a time, it seemed as though that was Conor Murray's destiny, too, until his granddad Con intervened.

"I'm from Patrickswell in Limerick," Murray told Patrick Kielty on Friday's Late Late.

It's very much a hurling stronghold. I was given a hurley when I was no age and that was the plan.

My granddad Con, my mother's father, was the only real link to rugby in our family. They lived on the opposite side of Limerick to me, and it was only when I got to secondary school and went to their house after school for them to look after us that I kind of started to love rugby.

I grew up playing hurling and football. My dad tried me out with Garryowen U8's or U9's. That was out of my comfort zone at that stage...I didn't like it.

I liked my comfort zone, I liked being at home with my mates playing hurling or football, walking the streets of Patrickswell. I used to hide my rugby kit under my bed in the corner of my room, I just didn't like it. I wanted to be in Patrickswell.

Not only was Murray's granddad an avid rugby lover, but he in fact also played at senior level for Munster.

Host Patrick Kielty would reveal an amazing piece of memorabilia on the show, displaying a side-by-side image of Conor Murray's granddad playing for Munster against Australia decades ago, and Murray lining out for the province against the same opposition in 2010.

Murray confirmed that his granddad was the reason he had dreamt of playing for Munster, though joked that the picture displayed on the Late Late was somewhat misleading.

It's a bit of a spoof of a picture. My granddad played against Australia, played the whole 80 minutes.

Then, fast forward to 2011, I think I got 50 seconds off the bench. But it was enough time to get a picture and now it looks like we both took on the Wallabies.

But, yeah, he got to do that and to emulate him was really, really special. He was my link to rugby and my route to it.

A wonderful story to come to light.

In another world, we could have been watching Conor Murray alongside his fellow Patrickswell men on the Limerick senior team.