By 1986 Barry-Murphy was entering the twilight of his career. That year a defeat of Clare by Cork made it five-in-a-row in Munster, with Barry-Murphy collecting a record-equaling tenth provincial winners' medal. An All-Ireland final against Galway with the men from the west being regarded as the red-hot favourites against an ageing Cork team, however, on the day a different story unfolded. Four Cork goals, one from John Fenton, two from Tomás Mulcahy and one from Kevin Hennessy, stymied the Galway attack and helped 'the Rebels' to a 4–13 to 2–15 victory. It was Barry-Murphy's fifth and final All-Ireland winners' medal.