J.J. MURPHY.
There was great sadness in the Club and the local community on this Friday morning when news broke of the death of J.J. Murphy. J.J. was one of our esteemed Vice Presidents and he and his family were involved in the Club going away back to the forties and fifties. J.J., together with his brothers Thomas and Oliver, played with the football teams of that era. Later he was instrumental in starting Card playing in the Club and organised regular sessions in places like Benners Hotel before we got a home of our own in Connolly Park in 1989. In recent times his regular card partners were usually John Murrihy on a Monday night and Jimmy O’Sullivan on Thursdays. He celebrated his 86th birthday last May. His sons John (current proprietor of Celsius Mensware, Russell St.) and Michael also played as did his grandchildren, notably Frankie and currently Matthew Browne who is a member of this year’s Minor Football team. Matthew is also involved in videoing our Senior games and, along with his sister Aishling regularly operates our scoreboard. Aishing, of course also plays with our Ladies U12s and her granddad, J.J., was very proud, earlier this year when Aisling had great success at the County and Munster Table Tennis competitions. One of the Club’s great Senior Footballers of the late seventies/early eighties, Billy O’Carroll (who now resides in Boston, but who comes home regularly) is a nephew of J.J.
We extend sincere sympathy to J.J’s wife, Noreen, his brother Thomas (San Francisco) his daughters Joan, Mary and Martina, his sons John and Michael, and all his grandchildren, including the aforementioned Frankie, Matthew and Aisling and to all his extended family (including his aforementioned nephew, Billy O’Carroll) and friends.