John A. Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John A. Murphy
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Murphy in 1971
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| Senator | |
| In office 1987–1993 |
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| In office 1977–1982 |
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| Constituency | National University |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 January 1927 Macroom, County Cork, Munster, Ireland |
| Died | 28 February 2022 (aged 95) Cork, County Cork, Munster, Ireland |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | University College Cork |
John A. Murphy (born January 17, 1927 – died February 28, 2022) was an important Irish historian and a member of the Seanad Éireann, which is Ireland's Senate. He was also a history professor at University College Cork (UCC).
Contents
Who Was John A. Murphy?
Early Life and Education
John A. Murphy was born in Macroom, a town in County Cork, Ireland. As a young boy, he loved reading books. In 1945, he won a special scholarship from Cork County Council. This allowed him to study history at University College Cork (UCC).
He worked very hard and graduated in 1948. He earned top honors in both History and Latin. After getting his master's degree in Cork, he started teaching. He taught at the diocesan seminary in Farranferris, in Cork city.
A Career in History
After teaching for eleven years at Farranferris (from 1949 to 1960), he joined UCC. He became an assistant lecturer there. In 1971, he was made a Professor of Irish History. He held this important position until he retired in 1990.
In 1975, he wrote a book called Ireland in the Twentieth Century. This book was one of the first to look at recent Irish history. It helped many people understand Ireland's past.
John A. Murphy as a Senator
John A. Murphy also served in the Seanad Éireann, Ireland's Senate. He was a senator from 1977 to 1982. He served again from 1987 to 1993. He represented the National University area. He was an independent member, meaning he didn't belong to a major political party.
As a senator, he was known for supporting different ideas and views. He believed in political and cultural pluralism. This means he thought it was important for many different groups and opinions to be heard.
His Political Views
Murphy was often linked to socialist ideas. He supported parties like the Worker's Party and the Labour Party. He was also a strong critic of Sinn Féin and the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was sometimes called "Anti-Republican" because of his views.
In the 1960s, he supported Irish reunification. He also protested against the jailing of Republican prisoners in 1971. However, by the 1980s, his views changed. He began to see the issue of Northern Ireland as mainly a border dispute. He believed that Irish reunification was "not worth the shedding of a single drop of blood."
He strongly criticized the Provisional IRA. He said they were not true "Republicans." He also spoke out against the 1981 Irish hunger strike, which made many people angry. In 1982, he gave a speech at Béal na mBláth. This speech marked 60 years since Michael Collins died. In the 1990s, he criticized John Hume for talking with Gerry Adams to try and end the Troubles peacefully.
In 2015, before a vote on marriage laws in Ireland, he wrote a letter to The Irish Times. In it, he shared his conservative view on the proposed changes to marriage.
John A. Murphy passed away in Cork on February 28, 2022. He was 95 years old. His father, Thade Murphy, was a famous Gaelic football player. He played for the Cork county team.
Works
- Murphy, John A.; O'Carroll, J. P. (eds), De Valera and his times, Cork University Press, 1983. ISBN: 0-7171-0568-7
Sources
