Although a native of Knockanore just over the county bounds in Co Waterford, the community of Castlelyons/Bridesbridge suffered a huge loss when one of their favourite people, Francis (Frank) Murray of Kent Terrace died on Friday, August 23.
Frank, or Francie as he was affectionately known to many, was a great community man who was very proud of his adopted home. He was very well known all over East Cork and beyond from his time as an insurance representative with Irish Life, a job that brought him in to homes, befriending people all over the area.
Frank and his family were to the fore during the ‘Tops of the Towns/Parishes’ era, his ultra talented family playing a major role, both on stage and behind it.
In more recent times, he was an invaluable member of the Castlelyons Community Care Group and was a great friend to all those whom he came in contact with, whether in his role as taxi man or otherwise.
Frank grew up in the Knockanore countryside and experienced all aspects of rural life, working hard in the fields, helping his neighbours with threshing and other harvesting chores.
While it may not have been an easy life, it gave him a wonderful grounding for his adult life and the experience provided him with much of the material for the books he would write many years later following his retirement and into his 70s.
This late vocation came about when his family presented him with a computer and the skills from his insurance days, ensured he embraced this new technology wholeheartedly.
Frank was in his 93rd year when he left this world and had been predeceased by his wife Eileen (nee Keane), children Mary, Raymond and infant John Paul and his brothers Sonny and Sean.
Crowds filed into Ronayne’s Funeral Home on Sunday evening 25th to pay their respects to a gentleman and colleague they greatly admired and this was repeated at his funeral Mass in St Nicholas’ Church and subsequent burial in the local cemetery.
Frank will be greatly missed by his family – Eileen, Patricia, Michael, Bernadette, Dermot, Deirdre, Enda and Fiona, brother Paddy, extended family, relatives, neighbours and many friends, to whom we extend our deepest sympathy.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
