‘He was above all the playwright of the emigrant’
■ “I loved Tom passionately as a writer and as a person. He made a difference in the world.” Garry Hynes, artistic director of Druid (pictured).
■ “The importance of Tom Murphy’s contribution to Irish theatre is immeasurable and outstanding... He was above all the great playwright of the emigrant, more than anyone capturing, in a poignant, creative way, the transience that is at the heart of the emigrant experience.” President Michael D Higgins.
■ “His relentless imagination and his restless exploration of the human condition challenged us to think about the world differently and enabled us to see our souls.”
■ “A titan of Irish theatre... We are marvelling at the musicality and muscularity of Tom’s work. The score of his text was so precise. Every comma, ellipses and pause had intent. The craftsmanship of his work was beyond phenomenal.” Directors of the Abbey Theatre Graham McLaren and Neil Murray.
■ “Murphy’s craft has always been in the power and beauty of his lucid language. It exposed the glory and folly of humanity, underscored by an inevitable, and merciful, ceding to a bruised affirmation of a joy for life.” Sheila Pratschke, chair of the Arts Council.
■ “There was a toughness, a brutality and a soulfulness to everything he wrote.” Willie White, artistic director of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
■ “An amazing man, full of life and light, so smart and so funny.” Paul Fahy, artistic director of Galway International Arts Festival.