Murphy first played hurling and Gaelic football to a high standard as a student at Good Counsel College in New Ross. He lined out in all grades as a dual player during his time there and won Wexford Colleges U14HC and U16HC titles.[2]
At club level, Murphy first played for the Cloughbawn club in the juvenile and underage grades before progressing to adult level. He scored 1-02 from right wing-forward when Cloughbawn won the Wexford SHC title in 1993 following a defeat of Rapparees in a final replay.[3]
Murphy first appeared on the inter-county scene with Wexford as a member of the minor team in 1990. He later had three unsuccessful seasons with the under-21 team. Murphy made his senior team debut in a National Hurling League game against Limerick in April 1993.[4] He won a Leinster SHC medal in 1996, before playing at left wing-forward when Wexford beat Limerick in the 1996 All-Ireland final.[5] Murphy ended the season with an All-Star award.
A second Leinster SHC medal followed for Murphy in 1997, when Wexford retained the title after a defeat of Kilkenny.[6] He claimed a third Leinster winner's medal in 2004.[7] Murphy retired from inter-county hurling in November 2004.[8]