Volleyball court at Queen’s University Belfast named after Paddy Murphy
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Paddy Murphy founded Volleyball at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) in the newly-opened Queen’s Physical Education Centre in 1972. And he has just returned to that very same place to have the court named after him. A capacity crowd of national and international Volleyball VIPs, as well as current and past Queen’s and Northern Ireland players, turned out to watch Lady Mary Peters unveil a plaque naming the court, in a ceremony organised by fellow 1972 Queen’s player Michael McKeever.
Jonny McFadden, the current President of Northern Ireland Volleyball, told the crowd: “Paddy was always on hand for guidance and support as he educated me in the structures of Volleyball here.
The tireless work that he put into Volleyball in Northern Ireland has paved the way for myself, and without those that came before us, it would not be possible to do what we do today.”
Federico Ferraro, the Press Officer of the European Volleyball Confederation, presented Paddy with a specially-commissioned trophy marking the occasion, and said: “I joined the CEV in 2008, and I know how much passion Paddy has for the game. It’s always been a joy to discuss the sport with him.”
Karl Oakes, the Head of Sport at Queen’s, said: “It is a great honour and privilege to support this event. At Queen's, club sport dates back to the 1800s, and it is people like Paddy who have kept club sport alive. I don't think anyone in the room was there back then, but after Queen’s was established in 1845, I think the first game was a rugby match. Apparently the result set was a draw, and although there’s no video footage to prove it, it reminds us that Queen’s has a long and proud sporting heritage. At the moment, there are about 60 sporting clubs, and many date back right to the 1800s.
“About 5,000 students now are members of the sports clubs at the university, and the volleyball club and many clubs like it provide loads of those life experiences that students are now seeking out. The international population of Queen’s has grown, and the volleyball club are a great example of the promotion of that diversity. They are one of the leading lights in having a diverse range of members across the club, and should be applauded for that. This building came to pass in 1972, and the volleyball club formed just after that. It was a great example of how we promoted and developed indoor sport, and the volleyball club has been a key indoor sport for Queen’s.”
Richard Callicott OBE, honorary Life President of the British Volleyball Federation (BVF), said he had known Paddy since the late 1970s. “He has given a lifetime to the sport, as Northern Ireland representative on the BVF and as an international referee, and he became Mr Northern Ireland Volleyball as far as British Volleyball was concerned,” he said.
Other volleyball dignitaries there were Scottish Volleyball CEO Margaret Ann Fleming MBE, Clodagh Nic Canna, President of Volleyball Ireland, and Joanna McCrory, Vice President of Northern Ireland Volleyball.
Lady Mary Peters said: “I have known Paddy since he had black hair and I was a blonde, and Paddy, it is a great tribute to you that so many people have come here today to recognise your contribution to Volleyball.”
For Ms Peters, being at the Queen’s PEC brought back memories for her, too, since it was there that she trained for her pentathlon gold medal in the 1972 Olympics.
After thanking Michael McKever for organising the event, Paddy Murphy said:
“I am extremely humbled and personally delighted; not just for myself, but for those of us who work together, men and women, for Volleyball, not just in Northern Ireland, certainly here at Queen’s, but as part of the British involvement in the sport.”
And Michael McKeever thanked Mary Peters for her part in the event. “The Mary Peters Trust gave me an award back in 1985 to attend my first international volleyball coaching course in the USA, so thank you very much for all the work your Trust has done and continues to do.”
Paddy’s lifetime journey in Volleyball
After starting Volleyball at Queen’s in 1972, Paddy was elected Press Officer of the Northern Ireland Volleyball Association (NIVA) in 1976 and went on to serve as NIVA General Secretary, Competitions Secretary and Treasurer, before becoming President in 1990, finally retiring from the post in 2008. He is currently Honorary Lifetime President of Northern Ireland Volleyball (NIV).
He represented NIV at the 1980 reformation of the British Volleyball Federation (BVF), serving as Treasurer for eight years and was on the London 2012 Olympics Preparation and National Coaches Appointments Committees from 2008 to 2012. He is an Honorary Vice President of BVF.
He has been a NIV delegate to the CEV General Assembly since 1996 and FIVB World Congress since 1994, and served as Communications Director and General Secretary of the CEV Small Countries Division / Association from 2011 until 2020.
In 1981, he became the first Irish person to qualify as an international volleyball referee. He officiated at Universiade 1983 in Edmonton, Canada as part of the first British volleyball team to participate, and went on to whistle more than 50 international matches throughout Europe and North America over 20 years.
He qualified as an international beach volleyball referee in Austria in 1996.
He was Technical Delegate and Judge Referee at the 1991 Universiade in Sheffield, British Transplant Games and Corporate Games 1998 and World Police and Fire Games 2013 in Northern Ireland.
Text: Geoff Hill
Photos by Brendan Digney