Knock, knock... birthday treat for Kitty as Enda calls

KITTY MURPHY may have been expecting the postman yesterday when a knock came on the door as her 86th birthday celebrations got under way.

Instead, the Tipperary woman got a bit of a shock as there to greet her was none other than Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who was making a whirlwind call to offer her birthday wishes.

Kitty’s family links with Fine Gael go back generations and are still maintained today.

The black 07 Mercedes pulled up at her house on Clonmel’s Powerstown Road just after 9.30am yesterday.

As she answered the front door, the surprise on Kitty’s face was obvious.

Her initial reaction: “I don’t believe it... Enda!”

During a brief chat in her front room, the Taoiseach heard how Kitty’s late husband was a former mayor of Clonmel; her own father was a local councillor as was her brother.

The whole event was organised by her son and current county councillor Michael Murphy.

Outside of politics, she told Mr Kenny how her nephew was the late tenor Frank Patterson.

“I’m very proud of him,” she said of the Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach, before addressing him directly: “You’re just yourself, there’s no act.”

And if he does step out of line, she won’t be long telling him: “Honesty is my middle name.”

With that, the Taoiseach was away to his next stop during his visit to south Tipperary, while Kitty was looking forward to a planned birthday shopping trip.

“She’s going to spend an extra few quid today to boost the economy,” Mr Kenny quipped hopefully.