Duhallow mourns the ‘unsung hero’ that was Pat Murphy

A FUND-RAISER WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 2 FOR THE MERCY HOSPITAL ICU UNIT ORGANISED BY PAT’S WIFE EILEEN AND BANTEER LYRE GAA CLUB

PAT Murphy, a name synonymous with Banteer /Lyre GAA for the past 30 years passed away at the Mercy Hospital Cork on Sunday May 29th in the presence of his wife Eileen and family.

Pat was born in Glen North, Banteer. He was educated at Laharn National School, Colaiste Therese, Greenmount, Cork and Scoil Mhuire Kanturk. After completing his leaving Certificate Pat took up a position with the HSE and qualified in 1982 as a Psychiatric Nurse. He spent 30 years working in Our Lady’s Hospital and Carrig Mor and transferred to the Inis Carraig Centre, Western Road in 2009 where he worked until his recent passing. Pat spent the past 30 years living in Ballymacmurragh, Kanturk which is in the Parish of Castlemagner with his wife Eileen but his GAA loyalty was always with Banteer/Lyre.

Pat is a major loss to our club and indeed the wider GAA family as he was also actively involved in the whole GAA scene from Club to Division to County Board level. He was an outstanding Administrator and his ability and attention to detail were the hallmark of his service to the Club. Pat served as Secretary from 1991 to 2002 with the exception of 1999 and the Banteer hurling club won every hurling title possible in Duhallow during that period and at various times, he served as a selector of teams, Duhallow Board delegate, County Board delegate, general mentor, a player and also the club’s greatest advocate. His Secretarial reports at each AGM were legendary in thoroughness and accuracy as he recounted every game played by the club over the previous 12 months. He was a brilliant Secretary and Club Official who fought every battle on our behalf and his spirit of fairness and goodwill pervaded every aspect of his life.

He served as Juvenile Secretary for Banteer in 1988 when they won their first Juvenile County title and served as a Selector on the U16 hurling team that won their second County title in 2002. He was Secretary of Duhallow Juvenile Board from 2001 for 5 years. He served for 11 years on the Executive Committee of the Cork Minor Board from 1991 to 2002. He was a former Registrar of the Cork County Juvenile GAA Board. He was a member of the GPC of the Cork Minor Board for 10 years. At the time of Pat’s passing, he was the current County Board Delegate for the Lyre Junior Club and was Chairman of the Lyre Junior Club.

His greatest GAA and community legacy however was his publication of the book “A View from Mount Hillary”. This is a compendium containing the history of the Club and the wider Duhallow area from 1886 to 2003. It is a unique record of all sporting activities and other significant social events that occurred over the Century and is much prized by GAA aficionados near and far. All proceeds raised from the sale of this Book were donated to Kanturk Community Hospital.

He was a founding member and PRO of Banteer Community Sportsfield Limited from 1998 to 2003. Pat was also involved over the years in Banteer Snooker Club, Banteer Community Centre, Banteer Gymkhana and was also involved in the running of the Annual Golf Classic and Puc Fada’s fundraisers on behalf of the Banteer/Lyre Clubs.

In 1999, he was involved in a local fundraising committee to raise funds towards the costs and expenses in sending 77 Athletes from all over Ireland to the Special Olympics in North Carolina, US. Pat was a former Captain of Our Lady’s Hospital Golf Society 1998, was Club Juvenile Officer of Kanturk Golf Club 2001 to 2004, Captain of Kanturk Golf Club 2006 and a former member of the Executive Committee of Kanturk Golf Club. His greatest golfing achievement was winning the President’s Prize in Kanturk Golf Club in 1993. To cap all of the above Pat was also a farmer and racehorse owner!

Pat was a former Chairman of Cork Psychiatric Branch of SIPTU. At the time of his passing, Pat was Shop Steward in Inniscarrig Centre at Erinville Complex, Western Road, Cork. He was a Trade Unionist for 35 years and was current member of the National Nursing and Midwife Sector Committee and health Division Executive Committee. In April 2016, Pat completed a QQ1 Level 6 Certificate in Trade Union Studies. In November, Eileen and members of Pat’s family travelled to Dublin to the Siptu Training College and also the Graduation Ceremony at the National Convention Centre to accept Pat’s Certificates in Trade Unions and a Posthumous award to recognise his achievements while studying.

The tremendous numbers that attended his funeral bore testimony to the contribution he had made to the local Community and GAA across the Division and indeed the County.

Ar son CLCG Bántír agus Ladhar is mian linn ár gcómhbhrón a thairiscint da bhean-chéile Eileen, dá dheirfiúracha Joan agus Eileen, dá dhearthacha Jerry agus John agus a cairde go léir i mBántír , i gCeann Toirc agus a chairde eile i gCorcaigh agus i gCiarraí. Tá sé , mar thuairim den gClub , nach mbeidh a leithéid ann aris agus tá sé eigeantach go mairfidh a gCuimhne linn go deo .Bhí sé mar ionadaí den gClub le thoct agus níor bhraith sé ar éinne tacháiocht a thabhairt dó chun a thuairímí a chur chun cinn. Tá seanfhocal ann “Is maith an capall a tharraingionn a chairt féin” atá an–oiriúnach mar bhí grá mór ag Pat

The late Pat Murphy was truly the ‘unsung hero’ of Duhallow. Banteer Lyre GAA clubs in conjunction with his wife, Eileen and family will hold a sponsored family fun walk in aid of the Mercy University Hospital ICU unit at Banteer Sportsfield Park on Monday, January 2 at 2pm. This day will also mark Pat’s birthday.

ar na gCapallaí.

Communities are full of unsung heroes and Pat was forever in that brand of never shirking a job or task. Pat has left a lasting legacy to his Club, Community, and the many Organisations he was involved in. He will be sorely missed by all, none more so than by his wife Eileen, his sisters Joan and Eileen, brothers Jerry and John, his nephews and nieces and wider family circle, neighbours, his many friends in Banteer, Lyre, Kanturk and Castlemagner and the greater GAA community.

Suaimhneas na bhflaithis ar a anam dílis.

On January 2 at the Banteer Sportsfield at 2pm to mark Pat’s birthday, there will also be a sponsored family fun walk in aid of the Mercy University Hospital ICU Unit in Cork which has been organised by his wife Eileen and his family in conjuntion with his beloved Banteer Lyre GAA club.