Local Hero Karl Murphy Cleaning Up In Passage Writes Leo McMahon
Salute local hero Karl Murphy who is doing his bit to make the town he loves so well, Passage West, an even nicer place in which to live. Every Saturday morning (weather permitting), the 51 year old is to be seen busy with his brush, shovel and wheelbarrow sweeping the paths and road and picking up litter, leaves and other debris starting from the top of the hill in his housing estate, Beech Court off Church Hill. What’s more, he often gives a helping hand to local county councillor Michael Frick Murphy and others litter picking as part of the local Tidy Towns effort on a section of path along the busy main road between Roberts Bridge and the Water Tower at Cork Street in Passage West, which includes the Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) for teenagers at the new Marmullane Park. The weekend effort complements the excellent job done by local FAS worker, Tony Murphy. In recognition of this, Cork County Council’s Carrigaline-Ballincollig Municipal District, at its recent meeting, on a proposal by Sinn Fein Cllr Murphy (SF), unanimously decided to send a letter of congratulations to Karl. Karl told The Carrigdhoun that he was delighted to receive the letter signed by Municipal District Officer Kevin O’Regan. He said he started doing the clean-ups in his estate (one side of the road each Saturday) last year and was presented with a brush and shovel at Christmas and more recently acquired a wheelbarrow. ‘I just feel I’m doing my bit for the community, I enjoy it and the residents are very supportive’, said Karl. During the week, he works for Cope Foundation, Montenotte, Cork helping people using its fleet of buses. A man of many talents, Karl has a fine singing voice and has done the Foundation proud in Performing Arts and represented it and Ireland at a competition in Sweden. He is a popular singer at The Tavern in Passage West (favourite tunes include You Raise Me Up and Jerusalem) and also plays the piano, sings in St Mary’s Church Choir, guests with Cork Prison Officers’ Choir, is a swimmer with Special Olympics and is a great supporter of his local GAA club! Karl resides at Beech Court with his sister Jackie and her husband Gabby O’Connell and family who are very proud of this outstanding community worker, as are Karl’s parents Michael and Bernadette Murphy, Scotman’s Road, Monkstown and his other siblings Eugene, Greg, John, Kevin, Bernard and Michelle. ‘Karl is an outstanding person and an inspiration in his local community’, said Cllr Murphy.