9 hours ago
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- The Irish Sun
Inside Brian Barry-Murphy's life from TV star wife & kids to Cork GAA icon dad adored by Roy Keane
BRIAN Barry-Murphy's soccer coaching career reached new heights on Monday as he was appointed Leicester City's latest head coach.
It's a clear sign that
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Monday saw him confirmed as the Championship club's new boss
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His wife Sarah-Jane Crawford is a high-profile figure herself owing to her TV and radio work
Credit: Sarah-Jane Crawford Facebook
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Brian joked he was doing some 'proper coaching' in this cute snap with their two daughters
Credit: @brianbarrymurphy
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Cork GAA fans will need no introduction as to who his father is
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Having wound up his playing days Rochdale where he spent eight seasons, he was installed as the club's caretaker manager in 2019 after the departure of Keith Hill.
Their fortunes improved under his watch such that his status was made permanent with him ultimately choosing to depart the club two years later.
At that juncture he was tempted away to take over Manchester City's academy. His exact job title was manager of the club's Elite Development Squad.
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That post raised his profile significantly across the Irish Sea as he worked with future Prem stars like
He opted to leave this role in July before embarking on what turned out to be mission impossible of saving The Foxes from relegation with van Nistelrooy in December after Steve Cooper's sacking.
Here, SunSport chronicle his life beyond the beautiful game:
Who is Brian Barry-Murphy's wife?
He is married to Sarah-Jane Crawford who is arguably more famous than he is owing to her various presenting work with ITV and the BBC.
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Among her credits are The Xtra Factor while she currently works on-air with Vanessa Feltz on her daily Channel 5 afternoon show.
There's only 16 months between her and Brian's daughters. In one interview,
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She smiled: "People say, 'Oh, brilliant, our kids grew up together, they're best friends'.
"I think there's a lot of practical reasons and emotional reasons, in terms of siblings, why it's good. But I don't think I've necessarily had the luxury to think, 'You know what, I'll space them out a bit'."
Who is his dad Jimmy Barry-Murphy?
GAA agnostics may not realise it but he's the son of Cork GAA royalty. His dad Jimmy was the ultimate dual star who helped the county to six All-Ireland triumphs across Gaelic football and hurling as a player.
In addition to that, the seven-time All-Star (five in hurling, two in football) guided their hurlers to hoist Liam MacCarthy in 1995 while he returned for a second stint in charge between 2011-2015.
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Jimmy is a revered figure in his native county
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He won everything there was to win with Cork and his club St Finbarr's
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He did so on a Monday Night Football appearance in 2022 - in spite of his Sky Sports colleagues not then seeming sure what to ask about this mystery figure.
Keano hailed: "Growing up again in Ireland - the GAA was a big part of my life. Hurling - watching Jimmy Barry-Murphy playing for Cork - you know, brilliant sportsman."
The 70-year-old modestly remarked: "It was very, very special. I was delighted actually.
"I was shocked for somebody like Roy, who I have great admiration for and he's probably our greatest ever sportsman to come out of Cork.
"Himself and Denis Irwin were extraordinary. Denis is a Barr man, of course, so I have to give him a mention. But Roy, it was a lovely thing to say and I really appreciate it, I must say."
