Cycling great Mick 'Iron Man' Murphy dies

[classic33]

Mick Murphy, one of Ireland’s most colourful sportsmen, has died.

Murphy was known as ‘the Iron Man’ following his three epic wins in the Rás Tailteann cycling stage race.
Over his 80-plus years, the eccentric Kerry man was a cyclist, wrestler, boxer, runner, farmer, circus performer, fire eater, ventriloquist and bricklayer.

http://m.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2015/0911/727279-iron-man-mick-murphy-dies/

 

[Accy cyclist]

He looked like like a hard git. The sort you'd like to have alongside you in the trenches.

 

[classic33]

Swallowing swords in his 60's!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Swallowing swords in his 60's!

To swallow swords at any age takes some doing!

 

[PeteXXX]

I've never heard of him, but any paddy named Mick Murphy deserves respect
RIP

 

[classic33]

From the link
"He came from nowhere to take honours having only taken up cycling the previous year and it’s then that he earned his well-deserved nickname.

During the ’58 race mechanical failure forced him to abandon his bike on a stage to Clonakilty in Cork and so as not to lose time he took a bike from a shocked local farmer herding his cows."

http://www.anpostmedia.com/Media/Ras_Archive/www.anpostras.com/event/fbdras_329.html

 

[Accy cyclist]

He looks a bit like Lemmy.

RIP

I think there's a look of both Sean Connery and Richard Harris in him.

 

[smutchin]

We did a piece about him in the last issue of BikesEtc, which is still available to buy in the shops, or to read online:
http://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/719/mick-murphy-the-last-convict-of-the-road

It was written by Peter Woods, who made the RTE documentary linked above, which I first heard probably about five or six years ago. The story has stuck with me ever since, so it was nice to be in a position to bring the story to a new audience.

And now Radio 4 have talked about Mick on Last Word:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qpmv/episodes/downloads

 

[John the Monkey]

There's a great episode of The Bikeshow that mentions him (and links to the RTE doc) from 2009;

http://thebikeshow.net/legends-of-the-ras/

 

[smutchin]

There's a great episode of The Bikeshow that mentions him (and links to the RTE doc) from 2009;

http://thebikeshow.net/legends-of-the-ras/

2009? Crikey. I was already familiar with the RTE documentary well before it was covered on the Bike Show, so I guess it was somewhat more than six years ago that I first heard it... Christ, I feel old.

 

[John the Monkey]

2009? Crikey. I was already familiar with the RTE documentary well before it was covered on the Bike Show, so I guess it was somewhat more than six years ago that I first heard it... Christ, I feel old.

Like as the waves make towards the pebbl'd shore, so do our minutes, hasten to their end.