Cyril Murphy was born in Belfast on 5th November 1928. He was educated in St Teresa’s PE, Belfast, CBS Newry, and St Mary’s CBS Belfast. He came to Dalgan in 1946 and was ordained a priest on 21st December 1952.
He was assigned to Japan and after initial language studies served in Katase and in St Patrick’s, Tokyo. In 1961 he was assigned to temporary promotion work in Ireland and this was followed by promotion work in Britain in Portsmouth Diocese (1962), in Hexham and Newcastle (1963), as chaplain to the Irish Emigrant Team in Manchester (1964), and in London 1964-1966.
From 1966 to 1969 he served as Vice-Superior to the District of Britain, as Director of the Irish Emigrant Chaplaincy and as superior of the London House in Ovington Square. In 1969 he was transferred to Ireland where he served as Vice-Director until 1977 and as Director of the region 1977–1983.
In 1984 Cyril was re-appointed to Japan where he served at St Patrick’s, Tokyo from 1984-1995 and then in Chibadera, Chiba City. His last appointment in Japan was as assistant in Fujisawa, Kanagawa.
In 2004 Cyril returned home to Ireland and was assigned once again to office work and Mission Education/Promotion from Solihull in Britain.
As his health deteriorated Cyril was appointed to Ireland in 2011 where he took up residence in Dalgan until his death in the Dalgan Retirement Home on 8th February, 2023.
He was a gentle, dedicated, prayerful missionary, always ready to take on any task to promote mission, the first to help in anything that promoted community, and the first to volunteer to accompany the dying during the night hours in the nursing home.
May he rest in peace.
