Joe Murphy (contractor) facts for kids
John "Joe" Murphy (born in 1917, died August 2, 2000) was an important Irish builder. He was known for his engineering company in England. Joe first worked as a police officer in Ireland. In 1945, he moved to England to work in construction with his brother, John Murphy.
After ten years, Joe started his own company called Murphy Limited. People often called it "Grey Murphy." This helped tell it apart from his brother's company, "Green Murphy." Grey Murphy focused on building things underground, like pipes and tunnels. Green Murphy built things above ground, like buildings. During the 1960s, when lots of building was happening, Grey Murphy grew very big. It became one of the largest Irish-owned construction companies.
Early Life and New Beginnings
Joe Murphy was born as John Murphy in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Ireland, in 1917. He went to school in Knockeen, County Waterford. After school, he joined the Garda Síochána, which is the police service in Ireland.
In 1945, Joe went to England to join his older brother, who was already working in construction. To avoid confusion, since his brother had also started using the name John, Joe decided to use "Joseph." They both began as workers. Soon, they started their own small company. One of their first jobs was to clear dangers for ships in the English Channel.
The Grey Murphy Company
After working with his brother for 10 years, Joe Murphy started his own business. His new company, Murphy Limited, focused on laying cables. His brother's company was called J Murphy and Sons. To tell them apart, people called Joe's company "Grey Murphy" and his brother's "Green Murphy." These names came from the colors of their company vehicles.
Grey Murphy usually worked on projects underground. Green Murphy focused on projects above ground. At one point, these two companies together handled a large part of all construction work in the UK.
Joe Murphy's company, like other Irish-owned builders, did very well in the 1960s. This was a time when many new buildings were being constructed. Joe Murphy and his company became known for doing excellent work. They also paid their workers well and hired many Irish people. A friend of Joe's, the actor Joe Lynch, even said that Joe Murphy employed more Irish people than any company in Ireland.
Later, one of Grey Murphy's Irish companies, JMSE, was investigated. There were claims about payments made to a politician named Ray Burke. A special investigation, called the Flood Tribunal, looked into these claims. Joe Murphy was not well enough to go to the tribunal. However, he was interviewed in Guernsey. In the end, no action was taken against Joe Murphy or his company.
Joe Murphy's Life
Joe Murphy's first wife passed away in 1962. This left him to raise their young daughter and a three-month-old son. In 1968, Joe married his first wife's sister. They did not have any more children together.
In the 1960s, Joe and his brother put a lot of money into a bank. This bank was based on the Isle of Man. The bank later failed, and both brothers lost a lot of money. Joe faced a difficult time, but he managed to get back about 80% of his money. Later, Joe moved to Guernsey. He lived there to pay less tax.
Joe's second wife died in 1991. Joe Murphy himself passed away from cancer at his home in Guernsey on August 2, 2000. At that time, his company was still one of the top 10 largest Irish-owned building firms. Joe Murphy was personally worth a lot of money. His company later faced financial difficulties and closed down in 2013.
