Murph
Harry: Everyone knows you as Murph. What is your full name?
My full name is Michael Thaddeus Murphy. Called after a saint called Thaddeus. I’m not sure why my mother called me Thaddeus, because I never heard anyone else called Thaddeus. For short, she used to call me Teddy.
Harry: Can you tell me about when you were young?
When I was young, I had no sense. We had a field behind the garage (now Whites Texaco), and I had a broken-down bicycle. We made a racetrack in the field and poured buckets of water on it to make it slippery and have races on it. Fellas would be falling off and breaking their wrists and we had great gas. My best past time was cycle racing on the grass track. We would have 5 or 6 in the race, BMX’s, and everything, and we would be flying into the corner, falling down, and there would be a big heap in the corner. I clearly remember that – they were great times. How times have moved on. Life is much more serious today like ya know.
Harry: What sports did you play
I was a great footballer. A star footballer. I was a great corner forward, but they put me playing in the backs and I never enjoyed playing in the backs. I could have played for Cork if I got a chance, but the never recognized my talent!!
Harry: What is your favorite food and drink?
My favorite food is rice and beef curry, and my favorite drink is Murphy’s stout (it’s good no doubt).
Harry: What was your first job?
My first job was working with my dad in the garage. I was a mechanic. I was brushing the floor, cleaning around the petrol pumps, that kind of stuff, and went on from there. I grew up in the garage. When my dad died, my brother got the garage, and there was no room for two chieftains. It was like two lions in the cage. I was 25 years working with my dad, and that was 34 years ago.
Harry: Can you tell me something interesting about cars
I always had cars in my blood. I suppose when you grow up with something, and cars change and develop over the years, it’s fantastic. I’d still love to be in cars today, my heart is in cars. You know when you are attached to something, it never leaves you.
Harry: I have 2 Scottish terriers, Cookie and Max. I remember you had a dog called Jappy. Can you tell me about your dogs.
Jappy was the most fantastic dog. Jappy was my darling dog. He went everywhere with me. He was so affectionate; he was cute and he was courageous. There is a seat up there, and I call it his throne, and that will be there forever more. That was Jappy’s chair, and it was there in the corner, and he would pop in there and jump up on the chair, and go off to sleep. We would give him a bone, or a biscuit or a bit of grub, and he loved it down here. He was part of the staff. He would sit at the door, and people on holidays would come back after a few years and they would be delighted to see him. They loved Jappy. He was a heartthrob boy, I swear to God.
Harry: I hear you have travelled all around the world. Where are your favorite places and why?
There are lots of places I didn’t visit at all yet. But I believe my time is running short. We go to Spain or Portugal mainly every year. I’ve been to Australia once, I’ve been to Seattle, the world is a big place. I’m dead happy where I am. When I retire, I’ll travel a little bit more if the man above spares me, isn’t that right!!
Harry: When you were in Australia, were you in the outback?
We were up Coolgardie first and then in Kalgoorlie, where the second biggest mine in the world is. It is the width of from here to Ballinascarthy, and it spirals down around the edges like a cone. There was a lightning storm there one night, and it would frighten the cats, I swear to God. And it was pure wilderness, and pure darkness. I was over there with Vince Nolan, and the one thing he brought home was the Aussie accent, and he still has it after 15 – 20 years.
Harry: What inspired you to open a Bike Shop, and what do you like about it?
I enjoy meeting people, and it is light work. When my dad passed, I was always interested in bikes, and so we bought this place in 1988. I really enjoy it, and I’ll be honest with you, if you don’t enjoy something, you are better off a thousand miles away from it. It was a butcher shop originally, and the butcher counter ran all along the wall.
Harry: And now for my signature question. What advice would you give to young people today?
My father always said, that when your back is against the wall, there is always another way, and I believe that big time. Never give up hope.
Be happy in yourself and life will take care of you after that. If you are struggling and fighting with life, you will be that way all your life. Enjoy and accept what you have, and you will be grand. You will always get help from people and that is a good thing.
