John O’Mahony remembers a great family man and councillor who always put people before politics
IT was very much a rite of passage, signalling a small but significant step in the right direction for a young lad with aspirations of pursuing a career in journalism.
Several years ago, in less complicated times, the news that I was being dispatched to report on my first ever Killarney Urban District Council meeting brought with it a great sense of progress and a real opportunity to put the all too few tricks of the trade picked up to some use.
Such was the feeling of excitement and trepidation experienced on scaling the staircase to the council chambers, on the top floor of the town hall, it might well have been a G8 Summit that I had been sent to cover. But with a discerning Killarney public awaiting the news of the night, and a white space on the front page of the next morning’s paper to fill, it was much more important than that.
As gregarious then as he is now, Des Cahill was holding court at the small, rickety table reserved for the media and one quick glance around the room was akin to delving between the covers of a who’s who guide to Kerry politics at that time.
Sadly, many of those that spotlighted the important local issues that warm June Monday evening are no longer with us. Michael Moynihan, Maurice O’Donoghue, Teddy Clifford, Christy Horgan, Sean O’Keeffe, Michael Courtney, town clerk Patrick O’Donoghue and town engineer Tadhg O’Sullivan are now debating the matters of the day in another place.
Murt O’Shea joined them this week. And they will welcome his voice of reason, his quick wit, his caring ways and the practical approach he adopted to problem solving.
Murt, a neighbour back then, welcomed me to the chambers that night with a trademark wink and a nod of the head. And in the years that followed I saw, first hand, just why the people of Killarney trusted him to represent them at that level.
It’s a cliché but, with Murt, it was always a case of putting people before politics and while loyal to his Fianna Fail roots, he always followed his conscience and did what he thought was the right thing to do.
He gave a voice in the chambers to many unable to speak for themselves. He campaigned for better housing conditions, improved health facilities and more support for the less well off in society. He was passionate about urban renewal and particularly determined that if the historic town centre laneways were to be developed, then it had to be done in a proper and responsible manner.
And he didn’t need anyone to prompt him when it came to the promotion of sport – all sports – which was most definitely at the summit of his political agenda. Youth and sport were the perfect mix for Murt and he worked tirelessly to cater for the former by developing the latter.
When Murt eventually opted out of politics he was succeeded by his daughter, Sheila, and it would be safe to assume that he probably took a greater interest in her career as a public representative than he did his own. She didn’t let him down.
On and off the playing fields, Murt and his beloved Bridie’s seven children gave them so much to be proud of and that was no more than they deserved having invested so much time and effort in ensuring they were given every chance to make a mark in life.
The O’Shea family home in Marian Terrace was never painted black and amber but, in truth, it could well have been the Dr Crokes’ clubhouse given their involvement, at every level, in the hugely successful and progressive club.
Rows of black and amber jerseys hung on the washing line on an almost daily basis, there was always a football and a hurl on the front lawn and Murt and Bridie had a familiar path worn from the front gate to Fitzgerald Stadium where they seldom missed a match or even a training session at any level.
They were to be seen at every game and at every occasion in the club, a member of Dr Crokes reflected this week.
“In their latter years, Murt and Bridie were often seen up in the Dr Crokes grounds, walking together around the training pitches, keeping a watchful eye on the different teams training, as two proud parents would watch their own children playing, developing, growing up,” the club said in a tribute.
“Sadly, we won’t see Murt and Bridie walking around the Crokes pitches anymore. However, some time in the future when you are up there on the sideline, or on the terrace, or out on the field, you might feel a gentle breeze and you’ll know, that’ll be Murt and Bridie still keeping an eye on us all and making sure their beloved Crokes are keeping the flame alight.”
