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Michael Murphy (28 April 1934 – 10 September 2015) was an Irish cyclist. He won the Rás Tailteann in 1958.

Early life

Murphy was a native of Cahirsiveen. He left school at 11 and worked variously as a farm labourer, a quarryman and a turf-cutter.

Career

Murphy was nicknamed the Iron Man.

In 1958 he won the Rás Tailteann, winning seven of the eight stages. He won two stages in 1959 and was third in 1960.

Murphy was known for his eccentricity, and was the subject of several works: an RTÉ radio documentary, A Convict of the Road; a documentary short made for the Killorglin Archive Society called The Marvels of Mick Murphy; a play based on his life by Roddy McDevitt, and a character based on him in Jane Urquhart's novel The Night Stages. He trained by sleeping in hay barns, eating raw meat and drinking cow's blood, doing the last in imitation of the Maasai. He could also walk long distances uphill on his hands.

Personal and later life

During his life, he was a cyclist, wrestler, boxer, runner, farmer, circus performer, fire eater, ventriloquist and bricklayer. He lived in England in the 1960s, competing as a wrestler. He later worked as a builder in Germany before a fall from scaffolding left him injured. Murphy came home to Cahirsiveen, living a frugal life on his parents' 2 acres (0.81 ha) farm, without running water or windows.

Murphy never married and had no children. He was robbed in his home in 2012. He died in 2015.

References

1. "Terrace Talk :: Interviews :: Mick Murphy". www.terracetalk.com.
2. ^ "Rás-winning 'Iron Man' with unwavering individuality". The Irish Times.
3. Fogarty, Weeshie (1 October 2012). My Beautiful Obsession - Chasing the Kerry Dream. The Collins Press. ISBN 9781848899827 – via Google Books.
4. "Meeting The Iron Man Of Irish Cycling - Rás Tailteann - Formerly the An Post Rás - 2018".
5. "Mick Murphy - a Reflection". 15 September 2015.
6. O'Connor, Tommy Frank (1 January 2006). Pulse: writings on Sliabh Luachra : the aisling or dream in real life. Doghouse. ISBN 9780955200335 – via Google Books.
7. "A Convict of the Road". RTÉ.ie. 12 September 2015.
8. "The Marvels of Mick Murphy". IMDb. January 2012.
9. "Cycling great Mick 'Iron Man' Murphy dies". 11 September 2015 – via www.rte.ie. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
10. "Iron Man who drank cow's blood, joined the circus and became a cycling legend". Independent.ie.
11. "Mick Murphy - the last convict of the road". Cyclist.
12. "Legendary cyclist 'Iron Man' Mick Murphy (78) robbed at his Kerry home". Sticky Bottle. 20 April 2012.

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