Moving tribute to one of city’s last ‘great characters’
The body of Bernie Murphy, a former city councillor, was brought through the streets by a horse-drawn hearse as shoppers and office workers lined up to pay their respects.
After leaving the South Parish, the colourful funeral cortege, led by lone piper Bobby Raymond, made its way over Parliament Bridge and into South Mall.
Hundreds of people lined the street and clapped as the hearse stopped outside the AIB — a favourite haunt of the former sandwich-board man — who in his own words used to “tap” people for money there.
The hearse stopped again on Washington Street, near the courthouse, which was another favourite “tapping spot” for the 72-year-old who died of cancer last Saturday.
After more applause his coffin was transferred to a proper hearse and driven for burial at Chetwynd cemetery, near the Bandon viaduct.
Hundreds of people had earlier packed the South Parish church for Murphy’s requiem Mass. Those paying their respects came from a cross-section of Cork society, including artists, musicians, solicitors and publicans.
Among those present was the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Donal Counihan, Judge Sean Ó Donnabháin, Deputies Kathleen and Ciarán Lynch, a number of city councillors and Roy Keane’s father, Mossie.
Parish priest Fr Richard Hurley said that Bernie Murphy had slept in a lot of places and houses during his life and he was now going to the Lord’s house.
“It’s great that we’re giving a great send-off to Bernie. He had many friends,” Fr Hurley said.
Among the chief mourners were Bernie’s brothers, Kevin and Finbarr, his nephew Kevin, and his great friend, photographer Billy MacGill, who organised the funeral.
The Lord Mayor spoke at the requiem mass of serving with Murphy as a city councillor in the 1980s.
“Those of us who served with him feel a particular loss. He was one of Cork’s most interesting personalities.
“I think that when he left the corporation he found it a bit boring. He used to ask me if we missed him and I said we did,” Mr Counihan said.
The hearse bearing his coffin was adorned with memories of the colourful individual, including a black and white picture of him, an honorary doctorate in humanities, presented by a university in San Francisco and his election posters.
After the funeral a wake was held in the An Spailpín Fánach. It was one of Murphy’s favourite watering holes and its owner, John O’Connor, often used to provide him with free meals.
Friends reminisced about Murphy’s astonishing victory in the 1985 local elections and his trip to San Francisco where he got a free set of false teeth.
They also recalled how he had gone there with a bag to collect $1 million, promised by the Mayor of San Francisco to the people of Cork.
The mayor said she was busy and Murphy had to come home empty-handed.
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