Timothy J. Murphy

Timothy J. ("T.J.") Murphy (1893 – 29 April 1949) was an Irish Labour Party politician.^[1]

He was born in Clondrohid, County Cork,^[2] and moved to Dunmanway, County Cork around 1920, having been earlier educated at the Clondrohid and Macroom National Schools.^[2] In his teens he was influenced by the activities of the Irish Land and Labour Association as well as the politics of William O'Brien.^[2] During these years he became involved in trade union and with the Labour Party.^[2]

He was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1923 general election as a TD for Cork West.^[3] He was re-elected for this constituency as a Labour Party TD at the next nine general elections, until his death,^[2] but remained on the opposition benches of the Dáil until 1948 when the Labour Party joined the First Inter-Party Government. The Taoiseach John A. Costello then appointed him as Minister for Local Government in February of that year.^[2] He had also sat on the Cork County Council from 1925, as acting Chairperson in 1947, but resigned on being appointed to the Cabinet.^[2]

Murphy died suddenly in 1949 while speaking at an Inter-Party public meeting at Pearse Square, Fermoy,^[2] fourteen months into his tenure as a Cabinet Minister. Following a state funeral, he was buried in Dunmanway Cemetery.^[2] The by-election for his seat in the Dáil was held on 15 June 1949, and won for the Labour Party by William J. Murphy.

His brief time as minister had seen him initiate a comprehensive house-building programme, designed to tackle the country's considerable housing shortage. By 1951, some 12,000 new houses had been constructed.

An area of Murphy's home town of Dunmanway today bears the name "T.J. Murphy Place".

References