Farewell to Bernie, the people’s champion
The self-styled advertising agent (he was actually a sandwich-board man) won 1,242 votes and was elected on the 11th count.
“The people of Cork wanted me to get in because they liked me,” a victorious Mr Murphy proclaimed.
The bookies took a hammering with Liam Cashmans reporting a loss of more than £20,000 — a considerable amount of money at the time.
The betting on Mr Murphy had opened at 50/1, but within days it had plummeted and by election day, June 21, he was being quoted at 9/4.
Liam Cashman said the biggest single bet made was £100 at 33/1 odds and added that some bets had come in from the legal profession.
It had been widely rumoured that solicitors had helped to bankroll Mr Murphy’s campaign.
Gerald Goldberg, the distinguished lawyer and former Lord Mayor of Cork, said at the time that he would be ashamed of the legal profession if it were the case.
“I am damn well going to find out if there are solicitors involved in this, and there will be hell to pay if there is,” Mr Goldberg said.
Mr Murphy dismissed these suggestions. His election agent was John Lennon, a civil engineer.
He also decided to have a stab at running for the Dáil — in two constituencies — in the 1987 General Election.
One of his election posters declared: “Murphy, the People’s Champion... Here’s up ’em all!”
If elected, he promised to donate £3,000 of his TD’s salary to Cork charities every year.
However, it all went downhill from there. Mr Murphy polled just 441 first preference votes in Cork South Central and was eliminated on the first count. He did slightly better in Cork North Central with 684 and survived until the sixth count. The bookies breathed a sign of relief.
His controversial visit to San Francisco in 1986 came following an invitation from a local newspaper columnist, Warren Hinckle, and a group of pals who called themselves The Friends of Councilman Bernie Murphy.
Despite concerns from other members of Cork City Council that Mr Murphy wouldn’t present the kind of persona they wanted in the States, he accepted the offer.
He denied claims that he was being used a publicity stunt and said he was going to the US to get jobs for the people of Cork “and a new set of teeth for himself”.
His visit was given coast-to-coast coverage by CNN and he was feted across San Francisco.
He was made an honorary director of the Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco — a powerful and influential association.
During their talks, he took it upon himself to promote Murphy’s Irish stout and the association agreed that up to 2,000 bars in the region might stock it. But when the association followed up and contacted the brewery, executives here distanced themselves from his efforts.
Mr Murphy also addressed 200 people at an American Bar Association function. His speech lasted 30 seconds.
After getting his new teeth, he famously quipped: “I had to come to San Francisco to get teeth. They wouldn’t give them to me at home after I waited six months for them.”
A few days later the Southern Health Board issued a statement saying Mr Murphy had failed to attend a vital dental appointment the previous month.
If he had attended, he’d probably have had the dentures in before he left the country for the US, the statement said.
After getting his teeth, Mr Murphy headed to a San Francisco bar with Dr Tobin’s pretty blonde assistant. To the surprise of drinkers, the councillor picked up the startled woman, nibbled her neck and spun her around the circular bar.
