He showed no outstanding talent for cricket at Dublin University either, having entered in September 1860. He was not a regular member of the First XI. His one and only appearance for Ireland was hardly auspicious .Batting at 9 v MCC at Lord's in May 1862, he was caught off the fast roundarmer George Wooton, a Nottinghamshire professional, for 0. He did not get a second innings as Ireland, set the by no means easy target 100 to win on a typically rough Lord's wicket of the time, managed to win by three wickets, thanks to a fine innings by future MCC Secretary Bob Fitzgerald.

Murrough never played for Ireland again. He appears to have left University without taking a degree, before spending some time in New Zealand. When he returned he married Eleanor Waller, of another leading Anglo-Irish family. They had five children as he settled into rather mundane employment.

NB: As the compiler of these notices I have some doubts about my identification of this Irish cricketer but MJ has been accepted by Derek Scott, who, in the words of Clarence Hiles has "a knowledge of Irish cricket second to none." On scorecards he is shown as ME O'Brien of Dublin University. The DUCC History lists him as ME O'Brien educated at Radley. However neither Radley nor the University had an ME O'Brien on their books at this time. They both show only Murrough O'Brien who is described above. One other ME O'Brien appeared in an important cricket match in the early 1860s. This was M Evanson O'Brien who played for George Anderson's XI v George Parr's XI at Melbourne in March 1864. The teams in this match were composed of a mixture of the English touring team and leading Australian players, for example the Co Waterford born TJD Kelly, the first man to wear a blazer in Australian cricket, who was to be a member of Australia's first ever Test team. O'Brien batted at 6 in Anderson's XI, so, though he failed with scores of 0 and 6, he was probably a well regarded player. Thus he is unlikely to have been the Irish player. The name Evanston suggests a connection with Co Tipperary, where according to Pat Bracken's interesting History of cricket in that county, a Colonel Evanston, ran an XI in the early years of the last century. Any reader who has information which might lead to a more positive identification is asked to make contact the site and mark the query Ireland Statistics. Even if the information does upset this writer's theories it would be most welcome.

The details on MJ O'Brien could not have been compiled without the time and trouble taken by Jock Milford of the Radleian Society and Aisling Lockhart of the Manuscripts Department, Trinity College Dublin Library. I am most grateful to both of them.

Edward Liddle, November 2007