In 1989, Jimmy Murray became the first Chairman of Irish Blind Sports – now Vision Sports Ireland – and, along with wife Maureen, founded Irish Blind Golf two years later. He won his first major award at the Kilkenny School Sports in 1952 at 100 yards. He returned to sprinting 30 years later at the May Games and won more accolades. At Blind Golf he has represented Ireland over two decades at World Championships and has a lorry load of trophies outside his home in Greenhills in West Dublin.
In October 2016, Jimmy Murray was inducted into the Vision Sports Ireland Hall of Fame by our then Chairperson Joe Geraghty at the Hermitage Golf Club in Lucan.
Here is an extract from www.rip.ie of the funeral notice
The death has occurred of Jimmy (Seamus) MURRAY
James`s Road, Greenhills, Dublin / Kilkenny / Longford
Murray Jimmy (Seamus), 19th December 2018, James’s Road, Greenhills and formerly of Kilkenny and Longford; peacefully surrounded by his loving family, in the kind care of the staff of Our Lady’s Hospice Harold’s Cross; beloved husband of Maureen and loving dad of Brendan.
Sadly, missed by his loving wife, son, daughter-in-law Georgina, grandson Jude, brothers Gerry and Frank, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
May he rest in peace.
Reposing at the Brian McElroy Funeral Home, Crumlin Village on Friday from noon to 7pm with family in attendance from 5pm to 7pm. Funeral Mass on Saturday at 10am in Church of the Holy Spirit, Greenhills and afterwards to Victorian Chapel, Mount Jerome Crematorium arriving at 11.30am.
No Flowers please. Donations, in lieu, to St. Vincent de Paul. Donation box in Church.
Ed’s Blog From The Bog
Many tributes are being paid to our first Chair, Jimmy Murray. Here’s a beautiful tribute and poem from Ed Maguire…
It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the sad news of the passing of a legend of our sport and a wonderful human being, the irrepressible, always smiling, never ever to be forgotten, Jimmy Murray RIP.
Jimmy Murray
Jimmy’s life story is a story of hope, a story of redemption, a story of a man who faced the greatest challenges in life and overcame every obstacle that was put before him. A noted sprinter in his young days, the hugely likeable Kilkenny man, was a serial winner in the athletic fields of his youth. But the fickle finger of fate intervened in the shape of very limited vision, and the affable man from the banks of the Nore was to be visually impaired for the rest of his life.
Jimmy’s Farney Lass
But Jimmy made his “disability” an ability and never let his poor eyesight define him as a person. The story of how he met and married his “Farney lass”, the beautiful Maureen, would do justice to a best-selling novel. The year was 1973, and the location was the Tara Towers ballroom, in Dublin, when the handsome Kilkenny man met the lady who was to be his partner for life. Jimmy, the cheeky chappie, from the black and amber county, jokingly asked Maureen if she’d buy him a pint and that began a love story and a friendship that lasted for the rest of their lives.
Vision Sport’s Ireland Hall of Fame
Jimmy Murray’s fame and many accolades have been well documented elsewhere, but one of his greatest accolades was when he was inducted into the Vision Sports Ireland Hall of Fame by Joe Geraghty in 2016. Jimmy was a founder of Irish Blind Golf in 1991and his induction into the hall of fame was such a well-merited distinction. We will never see his likes again because Jimmy Murray was a total one-off, a wonderful, wonderful person. I have penned a few verses to honour this fantastic man.
A Poem For Jimmy
The news came to us quietly,
Like a whisper in the night;
We had lost our best friend, Jimmy,
He had fought his final fight.
Like the call of the lonesome curlew,
On a wintry, western shore,
We lament the loss of our Jimmy;
Whose voice we’ll hear no more.
To Jimmy’s Monaghan sweetheart,
We make this plaintive plea;
Let us share your grief dear, Maureen,
A stor, a ghra,mo chroi.
Your husband was a one-off,
With a smile so broad, so bright;
He blazed a trail for all of us,
He was blind golf’s leading light.
In springtime, when the lilies,
And the daffodils start to grow;
We’ll think of you, our loyal friend,
The best we’ll ever know.
Ed Maguire,21/12/2018