Draft:Denis Murphy of Youghal

Denis Murphy (22 November 1944 - 13 October 2003) was an Irish psychiatric nurse and politician who was elected four times as chairman of the local council (mayor) in the East Cork town of Youghal.

An official photo of Denis Murphy as mayor of Youghal, County Cork, Ireland

Murphy was known locally as Dr Din, a nickname he gained at St. Raphael's, Youghal's mental hospital, where he worked for decades, even while he served the town on the council and as mayor.

"Denis was a great character around town and for 18 years was a member of the local Urban District Council. During that time he was Chairman (now called Mayor) no less than four times. He was forever working for the benefit of the townspeople and all his spare time was spent at meetings, or meeting with people," wrote Youghal author and historian Mike Hackett.

A life-long member of the Fianna Fáil party, Murphy was a democrat who administered the town transparently. Former colleagues on the council said Murphy would head for the pub after meetings and within no time the whole town knew what had been decided by the councillors. Known for helping the townspeople with advice and support, his colleagues remembered him always saying in jest: "It'll cost ya". Friends and family said he liked his pint and might have risen to national Irish politics otherwise.

"Dr Din could have gone a way further, he would have made an unbelievable TD (member of the Dáil, the Irish parliament) had he been given the chance. He was a very good politician who was a true representative of the people. He never got the opportunity inside the Fianna Fáil party," said Mary Linehan-Foley, an councilor for East Cork who was coached by Murphy when she was elected in Youghal in 1999 as the first woman on the town council. "He was a very kind man who always made people feel comfortable."

Mayor Denis Murphy inaugurated Keane Park created by Frank Keane (center), June 2000

One example of Murphy's care for his community was his backing for a park project that others on the council were not keen about. Local gardener and landscaper Frank Keane single-handedly turned an old quarry from a dump into a public park that is today an ecological site that has seen the return of wildlife. Keane said Murphy saved the project and made sure council machines were put to work right away on the quarry's transformation.

At Murphy's funeral in 2005, Keane said in his eulogy that the people of Youghal "developed a genuine affection for him during his distinguished nursing and political career ... He had an invincibly sunny disposition, and throughout his 58 years retained a great enthusiasm for his work and for dealing with people that was the envy of his nursing and political colleagues".

In his graveside tribute to Murphy, Sean Ring, then mayor of Youghal, joked that there were plans for majority rule in Heaven and he was sure Murphy had enough votes there and would not need to be calling anybody on Earth.