Mike ‘Scart’ Murphy– a brilliant dad, husband and grandfather
The passing of Michael (Mike) Murphy, Knocknaloman, Rathmore occurred on Thursday, April 16, at his home surrounded by his loving family.
Mike was born on March 24, 1953, to Paddy and Joan Murphy, Scartaglen Post Office, and was the eldest child with three brothers – John, PJ and the late Donie – and two sisters, Margaret and Kay. He went to the local national school before attending Salesian College in Ballinakill, County Laois, for his secondary school education.
Mike was generous, warm and a true gentleman. He was a Kerry man and Scart man through and through. He was very proud of his roots. He loved the fact that his work colleagues in St Finan’s Hospital Killarney, where he worked as a psychiatric nurse, referred to him as ‘ Mike Scart’.
Mike joined the staff of St Finan’s in 1972, and he was a highly regarded member of staff over those years, working his way up to management in the hospital. He treated all his patients with dignity and respect.
He met his wife, Eileen O’Sullivan, in the Arbutus Hotel, where she was working as a receptionist.
They married in 1982 and set up home in Knocknaloman, Rathmore, just a few miles on the Cork side of the border.
They had three children – Pádraig, Siobhán and the late Don – who died in an accident in 2012.
Mike was an extremely caring husband and father who was very proud of all his children. In January 2019 he was delighted to become a grandfather to Erika. He was a brilliant husband, father and grandfather, always there to offer his guidance and advice.
Mike had a deep interest in sport and was involved with Scartaglen GAA Club at every level, starting outfield and switching to position of goalkeeper, and he later became club chairman.
Mike also played football with St Finan’s Hospital team, which defeated Portrane in the final of the All-Ireland Hospital’s championship at Croke Park in November 1978, during which he scored a great goal.
In later years he was involved with Cullen GAA juvenile football as a coach and mentor and led teams to success on numerous occasions. He was a very well-respected member of both clubs.
He also formed Scartaglen United soccer club in 1972 and he kept an immaculate record of every player, every goal and every result.
Everyone who knew Mike knew of his great love for Kerry GAA and Manchester United. He also had a great allegiance to unfashionable Luton Town FC. He thoroughly enjoyed supporting his teams, watching all the games and reading the sports pages of the newspaper every day.
In line with his caring nature and work as a nurse, Mike was an advocate for blood donation having himself donated blood on 98 occasions, only two away from hitting his target of hundred.
Mike retired from St Finan’s Hospital on New Year’s Eve 2011 after giving 40 years’ service to the HSE.
He had made lots of great friends during those years and kept in regular contact with many of them during his retirement.
He really looked forward to the weekly card games with some of his old pals.
When he retired, Mike discovered a new-found interest in hillwalking, and through it he made another bunch of good friends.
Mike loved plotting out and planning the walks they would take, and he had all the walks timed down to the last second.
These walks took him all over the country and even abroad as he completed part of the Camino in Spain, but for him there was nowhere better to walk than his own native Kerry.
Mike will be greatly missed by his loving family, relatives and many friends.
May he rest in peace.