Cork rugby club pays tribute to coach as man killed in motorbike crash named

Niall Murphy, from Wilton, Cork, who died in a single vehicle road traffic accident between Banteer and Nad in Co Cork on Sunday. (Picture: rip.ie)

A Cork rugby club has paid tribute to one of its loyal members following his tragic death in a motorbike crash while driving home from a match.

Niall Murphy, a father of three who lived in Wilton, Cork, suffered fatal injuries when his motorbike crashed in north Cork as he was driving home after watching his club, Highfield RFC, play in Tipperary on Sunday.

Mr Murphy, who was in his 60s, was a long-standing member of Highfield.

Friends said he was a regular presence at the club, and a familiar face at club games, both home and away.

He suffered fatal injuries in an incident on the R579 Banteer to Nad road, in the Glen South area, near Nad. No other vehicle was involved.

Gardaí said they and emergency services personnel attended at the scene at around 6.45pm. It is understood that Mr Murphy was pronounced dead at the scene.

His body was removed to Cork University Hospital where an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death took place.

In a statement, Highfield RFC said its community was left in a state of complete shock when they heard of Mr Murphy’s untimely passing.

Club Chairman, Eugene Carley, described him “as a great supporter of Highfield over the years” and noted how much effort he put into his role as both an underage team coach and more recently as a coach of the Highfield U20’s team.

He said Mr Murphy was well respected and liked by all who knew him and he extended sympathy on behalf of the club to the Murphy family, and especially Mr Murphy’s wife Margaret and his children Mairéad, Jack and Matthew.

The club’s former underage Chairperson, Holger Ertz, remembered Mr Murphy’s “strong dedication and commitment” to the club’s under-age section when he coached the Under 14 and Under 16 squads a number of years ago.

A section of the R579 between Banteer and Nad remained closed until Monday morning to facilitate an examination of the scene by Garda forensic collision investigators.

It will include an examination of the road surface, and the road worthiness of the motorbike to see if there were any contributing factors to the fatal incident.

Gardaí at Mallow garda station are investigating and they have issued an appeal for witnesses, and for any road users with camera footage who were travelling in the vicinity of Banteer and Nad between 6pm and 7.30pm on Sunday evening, to make the footage available to them.

Anyone with information should contact Mallow Garda Station on 022 31450.

Mr Murphy is survived by his wife, Margaret, children Mairéad, Jack and Matthew and his sister, Deirdre.

His remains will lie in repose at O’Connor’s funeral home in Wilton from 5pm to 6pm on Wednesday, with Requiem Mass at 11am on Thursday in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Dennehy’s Cross, followed by funeral afterwards to St. James’ Cemetery in Chetwynd.

Mr Murphy is the 64th person to die on Irish roads so far this year, up 13 on the same period last year.