Dara O’Kearney: A Tale of Two Noels – SCCG Management

First Noel

In early December 2011, I headed to the Fitzwilliam Card Club for a team event. Our team, the Old Nits, included future EPT winner Padraig O’Neill (Smidge), a fiery young Dub named David Lappin, and Rob Taylor. Rob joined last minute, as I originally wanted to ask Daragh Davey, one of the best young live players, to join us. Daragh formed his own team with Nick Newport and Noel Murphy, regulars at Fitz. They appeared as our main competition and targeted us, leveraging their positional advantage.

Rob and Smidge were naturally cautious players, and I returned to my original style for this event.

In team events, staying in the tournament longest is key to winning, so early bustouts are to be avoided. Rob, Smidge, and I played carefully, while Lappin assured us he’d avoid risky preflop moves. Facing limited opportunities, I found myself against Noel, with whom I had history. He was provoking me to shove light, but I waited for a decent spot. When I finally shoved with 4s, Noel called with J3o, and I prevailed. Later, my AT lost to his Q9, leading to my exit. Upset by the celebrations and a comment from Noel, I took a walk before returning to support my team. Smidge had also been eliminated by a Davey team member.

Despite the challenges, I noticed interactions between Noel and Lappin that suggested a potential advantage. Noel was irritated by Lappin, and I encouraged Lappin to continue. Lappin then outplayed Noel with a clever call, leading to Noel’s downfall and propelling Lappin into the chip lead. Lappin and Rob outlasted the Davey team. Years later, Daragh confirmed Noel’s intense dislike of Lappin, which contributed to his error.

Second Noel

By October 2025, during the IPO at the Bonnington hotel in Dublin, relations between us and Noel had improved significantly. After Ray Wheatley finished seventh at the final table, we supported Noel, recognizing him as a working-class hero. Noel, now a senior, acknowledged my influence on his improved short stack game.

We have come to appreciate Noel as a genuine working-class hero.

I encouraged Noel in the hotel lobby, joking that I wanted his praise during his winner’s interview, not before. Twelve hours later, in the commentary booth, I watched Noel credit the Chip Race, me, and Lappin during his winner’s interview. Lappin paid tribute to Noel in his article for VegasSlotsOnline News:

“Murphy was gracious, pointing out how satisfying it was to win after busting 8th last year. He gave credit to the staff, organisers + The Chip Race, an episode of which he now stars in thanks to this brilliant result.”

My article on the @wpt_global IPO.https://t.co/CYXajKvafW