Dervla Murphy RIP

[HobbesOnTour]

And it came in useful at least once I believe.

If I recall correctly she shot (at) a wolf and used it to warn off an amorous hotel operator.
Imagine trying to carry a gun across Europe today!

 

[Arrowfoot]

If you into politics and social injustice, you would enjoy her travel books as she paints the landscape, the people living in it and provides the political and social context. It is done as an observer and in a flowing manner. For some reason, people tend to miss the political and social overtones and treat it as a travel on a shoestring to exotic places books. I am glad her obituary was rather accurate.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Just been reminded to put this link in here
https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/bow...1303114-bowman-sunday-830-sunday-5-june-2022/

It's from Irish radio and is an archives program of different interviews featuring Mary Lavin and Dervla Murphy (Dervla is the second half).
Not a lot about bike touring but an interesting view of the person.... And of Ireland of the time(s).

 

[Brandane]

Just bought "Full Tilt" for my Kindle, based on recommendations on this and another thread .

 

[mudsticks]

Dervla was the inspiration for many of us female solo travellers who started out on our adventures last century - whether by bike foot or however..
I've read most of her books.

She had a deep sense of curiosity, and can do gumption, a refusal to bend to any of the nonsense about what women should or shouldn't do, not just in travel but in the rest of her life too, single mother in a time when it was very much frowned upon.
.
And not from the usual monied, or privileged background from which independently travelling women had perforce, only come from before ..

I'd call her a clear eyed feminist, and inspiration.

For us 'ordinary' women travellers she supplied the "Its much easier to be it if you see it" motivation.
Thanks for all that Dervla !! 💜💚

Can't imagine you're 'resting in peace' though..

More like going out freely adventuring through the rest of the universe..🌈🏔️ X X x

 

[Once a Wheeler]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/w...-from-dervla-murphy-in-all-our-wheels.285963/

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Just bought "Full Tilt" for my Kindle, based on recommendations on this and another thread .

I eventually got round to reading it - ebook from library - one hell of a character and fearsome cyclist - but must admit, despite the odd interesting turn of phrase, not being a great fan of her writing style.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I eventually got round to reading it - ebook from library - one hell of a character and fearsome cyclist - but must admit, despite the odd interesting turn of phrase, not being a great fan of her writing style.

The first book wasn't written as a book, it was adapted from letters she sent home at various points as she said she found keeping a journal troublesome. I don't know if her style evolves over time as thats the first and only one I've read so far.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

The first book wasn't written as a book, it was adapted from letters she sent home at various points as she said she found keeping a journal troublesome. I don't know if her style evolves over time as thats the first and only one I've read so far.

well nothing to stop her editing/rewriting the source notes. Maybe I'm fussy - I also find Josie Dew's style clunky. A better writer could achieve so much more with her adventures. (Josie)

 

[wiggydiggy]

well nothing to stop her editing/rewriting the source notes. Maybe I'm fussy - I also find Josie Dew's style clunky. A better writer could achieve so much more with her adventures. (Josie)

Absolutely, but I'm probably not the best judge of travel books as apart from a few Wrestling autobiography's I mostly read sci-fi fiction.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Absolutely, but I'm probably not the best judge of travel books as apart from a few Wrestling autobiography's I mostly read sci-fi fiction.

wrestling autobiogs? - that's a shelfmark I seem to have swerved.

 

[wiggydiggy]

wrestling autobiogs? - that's a shelfmark I seem to have swerved.

They are either terrible (Rick Flair's is a ghost written pack of lies) or amazing (Mick Foley's was handwritten and when he told the WWF bosses his plan it was met with abject silence!).

 

[mudsticks]

The first book wasn't written as a book, it was adapted from letters she sent home at various points as she said she found keeping a journal troublesome. I don't know if her style evolves over time as thats the first and only one I've read so far.

Yeah I don't think any of them are aspiring to be 'great literature' .

The books do become more readable over the years as she relaxes into her own voice.

But I don't really think that's the point of them..

The fact that she bothered to write books at all to inspire and encourage the rest of us 'ordinary' women (whatever they are) to go adventuring - to take risks even - push ourselves - was the main point - or at least it was for many of us women anyhow ..

If I've ever thought "What would Dervla do now?? ".

In a 'tricky' travelling situation, the answer is nearly always.

"Just get on with it, use your initiative, keep going, you can do this"

And I'm still alive to tell the tale 😊

 

[cwskas]

My wife and I streamed this documentary on Vimeo yesterday. We loved it. 1h10m mostly of her talking about her life and travels. I am certainly glad I found it. I thought about it most of the day.

Who is Dervla Murphy?

 

[dimrub]

I'm finishing "Full tilt" now, based on @HobbesOnTour 's recommendation. What a wonderful writing - and travelling - debut! Such precise and vivid descriptions of the nature! Such wonderfully opinionated, out of this era descriptions of the people she meets on her way! All of this interwoven with such truthful descriptions of the hardships she met on her way! I too think that the second part of the book is better than the first - maybe it has to do with the fact, that she only had cursory notes from the first half of the journey, but maybe it's due to her liking it the better the wilder the terrain - her level of enthusiasm rises noticeably as the level of road quality deteriorates. I can't wait to read more of her books, written later, when she (hopefully) came into her own as a writer and a traveller.