{{Short description|Irish politician (1893–1949)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = TJ_Murphy_Cork_Labour.png | caption = | office = [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for Local Government]] | taoiseach = [[John A. Costello]] | term_start = 18 February 1948 | term_end = 29 April 1949 | predecessor = [[Seán MacEntee]] | successor = [[William Norton]] (acting) | office1 = [[Teachta Dála]] | term_start1 = [[1923 Irish general election|August 1923]] | term_end1 = 29 April 1949 | constituency1 = [[Cork West (Dáil constituency)|Cork West]] | birth_date = {{birth date|1893|7|17|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Clondrohid]], [[County Cork]], Ireland | death_date = {{death date and age|1949|4|29|1893|7|17|df=y}} | death_place = [[Fermoy]], County Cork, Ireland | party = [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] | spouse = | children = 6, including [[William J. Murphy (Labour politician)|William]] | alma_mater = |}} '''Timothy Joseph Murphy''' (17 July 1893 – 29 April 1949) was an Irish [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] politician who served as [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for Local Government]] from 1948 to 1949. He served as a [[Teachta Dála]] (TD) for the [[Cork West (Dáil constituency)|Cork West]] constituency from 1923 to 1949.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://centenaries-ituc.nationalarchives.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/31st-annual-report-1925.pdf|title=Thirty First Annual Report 1924–1925|journal=Irish Labour Party and Trade Union Congress|date=August 1925}}</ref><ref name=oireachtas_db>{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Timothy-J-Murphy.D.1923-09-19/|title=Timothy J. Murphy|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/d14cf0-thirteenth-dail/|title=Gov.ie - Thirteenth Dáil|website=www.gov.ie|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/labour-party-ireland-labour-party-ireland-politicians-leaders-of-the-labour-party-ireland-mary-1233284282|title=Buy New & Used Books Online with Free Shipping|last=Books|first=Better World|website=Better World Books|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://magill.ie/archive/labour-party-special-report|title=Labour Party Special Report {{!}} Magill|website=magill.ie|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref>
==Early life== Known as 'TJ', he was born in [[Clondrohid]], [[County Cork]],<ref name="cadogen">Cadogan, Tim & Falvey, Jeremiah: ''A Biographical Dictionary of Cork'', Four Courts Press (2006), {{ISBN|978-1-84682-030-4}}</ref> son of Timothy Murphy, carpenter, and Mary Murphy (née Shea).<ref name=dib>{{cite web|title=Murphy, Timothy Joseph|work=[[Dictionary of Irish Biography]]|last=Coleman|first=Marie|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/murphy-timothy-joseph-a6101|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref> He moved to [[Dunmanway]], County Cork around 1920, having been earlier educated at the Clondrohid and [[Macroom]] National Schools.<ref name="cadogen"/> In his teens he was influenced by the activities of the [[Irish Land and Labour Association]] as well as the politics of [[William O'Brien (Irish nationalist politician)|William O'Brien]].<ref name="cadogen"/> During these years he became involved in a [[trade union]] and with the Labour Party.<ref name="cadogen"/>
He was involved in journalism for a period, and became a salesman for Singer sewing machines before moving to Dunmanway around 1919.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dunmanway TJ's devotion to the people was a real labour of love|url=https://www.southernstar.ie/news/dunmanway-tjs-devotion-to-the-people-was-a-real-labour-of-love-4226423|access-date=15 July 2021|website=The Southern Star|language=en}}</ref>
==Politician== ===Trade unionist=== By 1922, he became branch Secretary of the Dunmanway ITGWU. His was also involved in local politics and had a role in the election of fellow ITGWU activist in Dunmanway, Michael Bradley, to the Dáil in the [[1922 Irish general election|1922 general election]].{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
He expanded the role of 'labour clubs' and was involved in the formation of virtually every Labour Club between 1926 and the early 1930s.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}
===TD and councillor (1923–1949)=== Following Bradley's death in 1922, he contested the selection convention for the [[1923 Irish general election|1923 general election]]. At the Labour Party selection convention two Timothy Murphy's were nominated with the Dunmanway Murphy winning out by one vote over Timothy from [[Clonakilty]].{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
He was first elected to [[Dáil Éireann]] at the 1923 general election as a Labour Party [[Teachta Dála|TD]] for [[Cork West (Dáil constituency)|Cork West]].<ref name="elecs_irl">{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=1200|title=Timothy J. Murphy|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=O'Day|first1=Alan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=13XJAwAAQBAJ&q=timothy+j+murphy+cork+west&pg=RA1-PA12|title=Longman Handbook of Modern Irish History Since 1800|last2=Fleming|first2=Neil|date=11 June 2014|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-89710-1|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Donnelly|first=Seán|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RP6UAwAAQBAJ&q=timothy+j+murphy+cork+west&pg=PA55|title=Elections 2011|date=2012|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-0-9520197-8-7|language=en}}</ref> He was re-elected for this constituency as a Labour Party TD at the next nine general elections, until his death,<ref name="cadogen" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Gallagher|first=Michael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1nCdDwAAQBAJ&q=timothy+j+murphy+cork+west&pg=PT70|title=Irish Elections 1948-77: Results and Analysis: Sources for the Study of Irish Politics 2|date=4 June 2019|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-99772-4|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://irelandelection.com/electiondetail.php?elecid=22&constitid=69&electype=1|title=Cork West: 1933 general election Results, Counts, Transfers|website=irelandelection.com|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> but remained on the opposition benches of the Dáil until 1948 when the Labour Party joined the [[Government of the 13th Dáil|First Inter-Party Government]]. The [[Taoiseach]] [[John A. Costello]] then appointed him as [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for Local Government]] in February of that year.<ref name="cadogen" /> He took a running mate in 1943 and 1944 but failed to deliver a second seat.
In the Dáil he supported the Treaty, urged [[Fianna Fáil]] to reject their abstentionist policy and return to normal politics. He was, however, in favour of Labour being an independent party and opposed the party supporting Fianna Fáil in government.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}
He had also sat on the Cork County Council<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/places/streetandtradedirectories/1930directory/1930dir/files/assets/basic-html/page31.html|title=Page 31 - complete1930directory|website=www.corkpastandpresent.ie|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> from 1925, representing the Dunmanway local electoral area (1925–42) and the Skibereen local electoral area from 1942 until his resignation from the council in July 1948. He served on a number of county council committees and as vice-chairman and Chairman of the council, and was also a member of the West Cork board of public assistance and public health.<ref name="cadogen" /> Murphy advocated for Christian Socialism and the [[Co-operative Movement|co-operative movement]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=O'Sullivan|first=Gearoid|date=18 February 2021|title=Recalling the Working Men's Clubs of West Cork|work=The Southern Star}}</ref>
====Michael O'Riordan controversy (1944) ==== Murphy has been described as having been involved in the controversy surrounding the Liam Mellow branch of the Labour Party and [[Michael O'Riordan]]. A report in ''[[The Irish Press]]'' suggested that the Administrative Council had become aware that certain persons in Cork were engaging in activities which appear to be inconsistent with their membership of the Labour Party and they appointed a subcommittee to investigate the membership and administration of the Liam Mellows Branch. This was headed up by Murphy as vice-chair. They heard the complaint against O'Riordan and Nagle being present at the (NI) Communist Party conference. Following an investigation, the two Cork members were expelled on 5 February 1944 and the 4 Dublin members in April. O'Riordan would later accuse Murphy of "red-baiting".<ref>{{Cite book|last=O'Brien|first=Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8fEdAQAAIAAJ&q=michael+o'riordan+tim+quill+clashed+Spanish+civil+war|title=Strong Words Brave Deeds: The Poetry, Life and Times of Thomas O'Brien, Volunteer in the Spanish Civil War|date=1994|publisher=Dufour Editions|isbn=978-0-86278-376-1|language=en}}</ref>
===Cabinet: Minister for Local Government (1948–1949)=== Local Authority Manager Philip Monahan told Cork Corporation in 1948 that an experiment to build houses by direct labour had been suggested by Murphy. To proceed with the direct labour experiment, the City Manager was in the process of appointing an assistant architect, a draughtsman, an assistant engineer and a foreman. Concurrently, Monahan had decided to build other houses by contract so that the corporation could then decide if one method was superior to the other. A deputation of the Cork Regional Branch of the Federation of Builders, Contractors and Allied Employers of Ireland appeared before the meeting to protest this direct labour policy, but the Corporation agreed to proceed with the project as outlined by the City Manager.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Quinlivan|first=Aodh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N99awUWqYksC&q=timothy+j+murphy+labour&pg=PA193|title=Philip Monahan: A Man Apart : the Life and Times of Ireland's First Local Authority Manager|date=2006|publisher=Institute of Public Administration|isbn=978-1-904541-35-6|language=en}}</ref>
==Death== Murphy died suddenly in 1949,<ref name=death>{{cite journal|title=Death of a Minister – Expression of Sympathy.|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/1949-05-03/16/|date=3 May 1949|journal=Dáil Debates|volume=115|issue=3|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas|access-date=14 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Brian Mercer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xnANAQAAMAAJ&q=timothy+j+murphy+cork+west|title=Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1918-92|last2=Academy|first2=Royal Irish|last3=Studies|first3=Queen's University of Belfast Institute of Irish|date=1992|publisher=Royal Irish Academy|isbn=978-0-901714-96-1|language=en}}</ref> while speaking at an Inter-Party public meeting at Pearse Square, [[Fermoy]],<ref name="cadogen" /> fourteen months into his tenure as a cabinet minister.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/class-and-ideology-have-always-dominated-irish-housing-policy-1.3214465|title=Class and ideology have always dominated Irish housing policy|last=Ferriter|first=Diarmaid|website=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref> He was buried in Dunmanway Cemetery.<ref name="cadogen" /> The [[1949 Cork West by-election|by-election]] for his seat in the Dáil was held on 15 June 1949, and won for the Labour Party by his son, [[William J. Murphy (Labour politician)|William J. Murphy]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishhistorian.com/Years/1949.html|title=1949 in Ireland|website=irishhistorian.com|access-date=16 March 2020}}</ref>
==Legacy== An area of Murphy's home town of Dunmanway today bears the name "T.J. Murphy Place".
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before = [[Seán MacEntee]]}} {{s-ttl|title = [[Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage|Minister for Local Government]] |years = 1948–1949}} {{s-aft|after = [[William Norton]]}} {{s-end}} {{Cork West (Dáil constituency)/TDs}} {{5th Government of Ireland}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Timothy J.}} [[Category:1893 births]] [[Category:1949 deaths]] [[Category:Labour Party (Ireland) TDs]] [[Category:Members of the 4th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 5th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 6th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 7th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 8th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 9th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 10th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 11th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 12th Dáil]] [[Category:Members of the 13th Dáil]] [[Category:Politicians from County Cork]] [[Category:People from Dunmanway]]