Dromintee-raised Michael JMurphy was one of the most respected Irish folklorists, writers and broadcasters of his generation. David Roy spoke to Kevin Murphy (no relation) of the Cuimhneamh Oral History Group about their upcoming centenary weekend celebrating the life of the remarkable south Armagh-bred talent
BORN in Liverpool to working class Irish parents in 1913, Michael J Murphy returned with his family to their home town of Dromintee in Co Armagh when he was nine.
Despite having left Dromintee National School before the age of 14 to become a farm labourer, 'Michael J' was an intelligent thinker with a passion for his local surroundings.
Over the course of his lifetime, Murphy established himself as the pre-eminent collector of 'old Ulster' folklore as well as a respected journalist and broadcaster.
A talented writer of fiction, drama, poetry and historical record, he soon became one of Ireland's most notable cultural chroniclers.
Murphy began documenting the stories, songs, language and traditions of rural people in the Slieve Gullion, Rathlin and Tyrone areas while still working the fields.
Having penned articles for local newspapers, the first of Murphy's folklore collections, At Slieve Gullion's Foot, was published in 1941.
He continued his work in an official capacity for the next 42 years, first for the Irish Folklore Commission
and then University College Dublin's Department of Irish Folklore. Weighing in at nearly 40,000 pages, Murphy's writings remain the largest treasure trove of 'oral tradition' ever assembled by one man in the English speaking world.
Michael J Murphy died in 1996, but there are those who still cherish his legacy.
From November 15 to November 17, Cuimhneamh Oral History Group will celebrate the centenary of Michael J's birth with a weekend of lectures, music and special events at their base in Ti Chulainn Cultural Centre, Mullaghbawn. "He was an absolutely amazing man," enthuses Kevin Murphy of Cuimhneamh, established to raise awareness of Michael J Murphy's life and work. "Michael J was one of the last uneducated intellectuals. He was never formally educated but was still massively well read. The man had an immense knowledge of Irish and international literature."
Murphy was well known as a writer in the 1950s and '60s, especially in academic circles in Dublin and Belfast. "He was a very close friend of John Hewitt," Kevin tells me. "They corresponded by letter on literary, political, social and personal matters -- sometimes twice a week."
Michael J also enjoyed a successful career as a broadcaster with the BBC and RTE from 1938 onwards. "He had the most wonderful voice," comments Kevin. "He was very close to Sam Hanna Bell, whom he worked with for quite a long time at the BBC. "In fact Sam's son, Fergus Hanna Bell, is coming to the weekend."
Kevin Murphy was lucky enough to know Michael J personally, through his son Michael Murphy Jr.
The pair attended St Colman's College in Newry and, eventually, Kevin and Michael senior became friends.
Indeed, Kevin actually accompanied Michael J on his folklore-gathering expeditions. "I went out collecting with him on a number of occasions," explains Kevin, who will be leading guided coach tours of local sites related to Michael J's writings during the celebrations next weekend. "He was a great listener and he was well respected by the people because they knew he was 'one of them'. "The ones he wrote about often used to go down on one knee when you mentioned his name. That's a very rare thing."
A selection of Murphy's rarely seen photographic work will also be on display during the centenary weekend, which coincides with the reprinting of At Slieve Gullion's Foot. "From a literary point of view, he's much much more important than has ever been credited," says Kevin. "Fergus Bell said to me that his father 'never wrote anything 'til he checked it with Michael J'. "I mean, where would you go from that for praise?"
* See Facebook.com/Cuimhneamh or call Cuimhneamh on 028 3088 8828 for details of their Michael J Murphy Centenary Weekend.
*HISTORIAN: Michael J Murphy