{{Short description|Irish television and radio broadcaster (1928–2019)}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Arthur Murphy | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1928|6|4}} | birth_place = [[Dublin]], Ireland | death_date = {{death date and given age|2019|2|7|90|df=y}} | death_place = | other_names = | known_for = ''[[Mailbag]]'' | education = Honours BA in Modern history and Political Science,<br/> Higher Diploma in Education,<br/> [[Master of Arts]] | alma_mater = [[Trinity College Dublin]] | occupation = Broadcaster }}
'''Arthur Murphy''' (4 June 1928 – 7 February 2019)<ref name="ITobit">{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/arthur-murphy-obituary-versatile-broadcaster-and-consummate-professional-1.3806927 |title=Arthur Murphy obituary: Versatile broadcaster and consummate professional |publisher=www.irishtimes.com |date=1 March 2019 |access-date=7 March 2019}}</ref> was an Irish television and radio broadcaster. He was best known for presenting ''[[Mailbag]]''.
==Early life== Murphy was born in [[East Wall]], [[Dublin]], the elder of two sons born to Jack and Mary Murphy. He attended Saint Columba's National School by [[North Strand Church (Church of Ireland)|North Strand Church]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Garrett |first=Arthur |date=1985 |title=In Ages Past: The Short of North Strand Church Sunday and Day School |location=Dublin |publisher=Jack Hade and Company}}</ref> He entered [[Trinity College Dublin]] and completed a four-year honours degree course in Modern history and Political Science graduating in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts degree,<ref name="ITobit"/><ref name=tcdrec>{{cite book |editor-first=Bailey |editor-last=K.C.|date=1951 |title=Trinity College Record Volume 1951 |location=Dublin |publisher=Dublin University Press Ltd.|page=}}</ref> and then the Higher Diploma in Education.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} He was also a [[Master of Arts]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
==Career== ===Abroad=== In addition to singing, Murphy played piano and [[Organ (music)|church organ]]. Following graduation from university, he moved to London to pursue a singing career and supported himself with a job as a school master. Hearing about a [[BBC]] television series, ''[[Music for You]]'', he contacted the office of its presenter, conductor and producer, [[Eric Robinson (conductor)|Eric Robinson]] who gave him an audition for the chorus, then offered him solo spots in the series. During the series, Murphy performed with Italian opera singer [[Benamino Gigli]] and [[Robert Helpmann]].<ref name="rte2019">{{cite news |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/0208/1028393-rte-presenter-arthur-murphy-has-died-aged-90/ |title=RTÉ presenter Arthur Murphy has died aged 90 |access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref>
In 1957, Murphy was given a recording contract by [[George Martin]] of [[Parlophone Records]], and Murphy turned to singing big pop ballads. In the same year he married Patricia. In 1960 Murphy went to the US to guest on the [[Arthur Godfrey]] show and toured the North America in 1961. During this visit, Murphy guested on [[Rick Campbell]]'s ''[[Better Late Show]]'' and on the [[Elwood Glover]] show on [[CBC Television|CBC]].
===Ireland=== He returned to Dublin when Ireland announced its own state television service. Murphy auditioned for [[RTÉ]] television and became presenter of its first chat show, ''[[Visitors Book]]''. He also became a producer/director, directing news and producing a weekly music show, ''Just For You''. [[Oriole Records (UK)|Oriole Records]] label offered him a recording contract but changed his name to [[Mark Dwayne]]. With this label he had hits with "[[Remember Me Huh!]]" and "[[Little Bitty Heart]]". To promote these records he performed on [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC Television]]'s ''[[Thank Your Lucky Stars (TV series)|Thank Your Lucky Stars]]'' in the UK, which was similar to the [[BBC]]'s ''[[Top of the Pops]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
===Abroad=== Murphy then took up offers from UK television stations [[Westward Television]] and [[Southern Television]] which covered the south west and south of England, as anchorman on their respective nightly magazine programmes ''[[Westward Diary]]'' and ''Day by Day''. At Westward he presented with [[Desmond Wilcox]] a documentary on the [[Tolpuddle Martyrs]]. Once more Murphy moved to Manchester as anchor on BBC's nightly news magazine ''[[Look North]]'' which then covered the north of England. Before joining Westward, Murphy had guested as a singer on [[ATV television]]'s series ''Music Shop'' with [[Shirley Bassey]].
In the late 1960s, record producer [[Denis Preston]] invited him to come up with a concept for an album of Irish songs which resulted in ''[[A Nation Once Again]]'', each song representing a period of [[Irish history]]. In 1967, [[President of Ireland]] [[Éamon de Valera]] received Murphy in a half-hour private audience in which he congratulated him for being an unofficial ambassador for his country.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
Following a concert appearance with comedian [[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]] at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]], Murphy starred on BBC television's series ''[[Dee Time]]'' presented by [[Simon Dee]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
In 1974, he joined [[Liverpool]], [[Radio City 96.7|Radio City]] as their first presenter on air with ''The Breakfast Show''. He also hosted programmes like ''Midday with Murphy'' and ''Downtown''.<ref>194 Radio City – The Heart of Liverpool By Kathy Barham (page 17) {{isbn missing}}</ref> He stayed for nearly three years but, with a second son, felt it was more important to spend time with his family.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
===Ireland=== Back permanently in Dublin he continued presenting and producing sponsored programmes for clients such as [[Coca-Cola]] and [[Johnson Wax]] as well as presenting programmes for RTÉ's new station, [[RTÉ 2fm|RTÉ Radio 2]]. Then in 1982 RTÉ offered him a 10-minute weekly filler slot titled ''[[Mailbag]]'' for 3 weeks. The programme which dealt with viewers letters concerning programmes was extended to 6 weeks. Before the year was out it had become a half-hour show going out on both of RTÉ's television channels. Finally it ended 14 years later. However, Murphy continued to use the ''Mailbag'' concept into the 2010s, complete with postmodern ironic touch, with his regular "E-mail Bag" segments on [[Today FM]] radio's ''[[The Ray D'Arcy Show]]''.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/it-s-goodbye-from-me-and-hello-again-1.655741|title=It's goodbye from me . . . and hello again|first=Quentin|last=Fottrell|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> In early 2015 Arthur moved with Ray D'Arcy's team to RTÉ and he continued to present the weekly mailbag slot in the afternoon on RTÉ Radio 1.
Murphy lived in Dublin with his wife Patricia up until her death on 2 April 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.superannrte.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5145:death-of-patricia-murphy-wife-of-colleague-arthur-murphy&catid=18&Itemid=103|title=Death of Patricia Murphy ( Wife of colleague Arthur Murphy)|website=www.superannrte.ie}}</ref> He pursued several interests, including in broadcasting.<ref name="auto"/>
==Death== Murphy's death was announced by [[RTÉ News]] on 8 February 2019, he was 90 years old.<ref name="rte2019"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Discogs artist|4180593|Arthur Murphy/Mark Dwayne}}
{{Today FM}} {{2fm}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Arthur J.}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2019 deaths]] [[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]] [[Category:Irish male organists]] [[Category:Male organists]] [[Category:Irish male pianists]] [[Category:Broadcasters from Dublin (city)]] [[Category:Radio personalities from the Republic of Ireland]] [[Category:RTÉ 2fm presenters]] [[Category:RTÉ television presenters]] [[Category:The Ray D'Arcy Show]] [[Category:20th-century Irish organists]] [[Category:20th-century Irish male musicians]] [[Category:21st-century Irish organists]] [[Category:21st-century Irish male musicians]] [[Category:20th-century Irish pianists]] [[Category:21st-century Irish pianists]]