Dervla Murphy: 'If you’re fearless, you don’t need courage'

Her travels have taken her all over the world. As she turns 90, trailblazer Dervla Murphy reflects on an extraordinary life.

Author Dervla Murphy at her home in Lismore, Co, Waterford. Pic: Denis Scannell

In front of me Dervla Murphy places a bowl of homemade soup that is as honest as she is herself. When meeting a world-renowned doyenne of travel writing, I don’t necessarily expect warm hospitality, but that’s exactly what I get. As she approaches her 90th birthday, she is surrounded by books and warmed by her beloved dog and two cats.

Dervla begins each day in her west Waterford home extremely early, fuelling her body with a big breakfast and her mind with news from BBC Radio 4, Al Jazeera, and online newspapers such as Haaretz. She says that “the internet is a huge advantage for me now, when I’m so restricted in my movements. I can see the world through Al Jazeera’s eyes”. Her physical travels have come to an end now, but her intellectual travels continue. She still reads voraciously, writes shorter pieces, and reviews books.