A former chaplain to the Queen and rector of the Sandringham group of parishes, Canon Gerry Murphy, has died peacefully, aged 87, at his west Norfolk home.

An international rugby player for Ireland, he was capped six times, winning his first cap in 1951 against South Africa at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

When he left after seven years at Sandringham to take up the post in the Falkland Islands as rector of Christ Church Cathedral, Port Stanley, he was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order in the Queen's 1986 New Year Honours.

In a career spanning almost a quarter of a century, he rose to become one of the army's most senior chaplains before taking up rural ministry as vicar of Ranworth and also chaplain of the Broads in 1977.

Born in 1926, in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, John Gervase Maurice Walker Murphy, went to Trinity College, Dublin, and was ordained a deacon in 1952 and a priest a year later.

It was while the fullback was playing for Dublin University, he won his first cap.

The following spring, he was one of two novice priests playing for Ireland with Robin Roe at Twickenham when they were beaten 3-0 – the winning try had been scored by the grandson of a bishop!

He also won caps for Ireland against Scotland and Wales and in 1954 represented his country against the All Blacks. In 1958, while playing for London Irish, he was capped against Wales.

He graduated with a BA and became MA three years later. For three years, until 1955, he was curate of Lurgan. Then he became a chaplain to the Forces, serving in Korea, Malaya, Aden and Cyprus.

Between 1973 and 1975, he was assistant Chaplain-General to the British Army of the Rhine. In his final army posting, he was assistant Chaplain-General for the army's south-east district, based at Aldershot.

At Ranworth, he became the Bishop of Norwich's chaplain for holidaymakers on the Norfolk Broads. Two years later, in 1979, he became domestic chaplain to the Queen. He was instituted as the rector of the Sandringham group of eight parishes by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Maurice Wood, and was inducted by the Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Rev Aubrey Aitken.

Rev Murphy was appointed an honorary canon of Norwich Cathedral in June 1986.

In October the following year, he announced to his congregation at Sandingham that he was 'honoured and surprised' to be appointed to the post in the Falklands. He would be shepherd to the 1,900 inhabitants, who lived on about 200 islands and use boats, light aircraft and helicopters for transport. He took the last morning service on February 8, 1987 at the end of the Queen's New Year holiday and his last service at Wolferton later the same day.

In March 1987, at the start of his posting, he and his wife, Joy, visited Lambeth Palace, London, to say farewell to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie, who was also the Bishop of the Falkland Islands.

He leaves his widow and five daughters – Maryan, Desiree, Nicola, Geraldine and Felicity – and 17 grandchildren.

A funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, Heacham, on Tuesday, January 21 at 2pm.

Michael Pollitt