Barry-Murphy made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the Cork minor teams as a dual player. An All-Ireland medallist in both codes, he later won a combined total of three All-Ireland medals with the under-21 teams. Barry-Murphy made his senior football debut during the 1973 championship. He went on to play a key role for Cork in attack and won one All-Ireland medal, four Munster medals and one National Football League medal. Barry-Murphy's eleven-year career with the Cork senior hurlers saw him win five All-Ireland medals, a record-equaling ten Munster medals and two National Hurling League medals. He was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.