Death of Peter Murphy

TRIBUTES HAVE been paid to quizmaster, radio and television presenter and founder member of the forerunner to the Irish Farmers’ Association, Peter Murphy, who has died suddenly aged 88.

Mr Murphy was well known across generations and in the farming community through the 1970s and 1980s through his work presenting RTÉ's long-running and influential farming programme Landmarkand acting as quiz master and question setter on the equally popular TV programme Cross Country Quiz.

He prepared 14 quiz books during the 1970s and 1980s and while he retired in the 1990s he continued to compile a crossword up to the time of his death for the weekly Farming Independentand the Irish Farmers' Monthly.

A farming organiser for Macra na Feirme in the 1950s, he was involved in the foundation in 1956 of the National Farmers Association, the forerunner of the IFA. He was a noted public speaker and won numerous awards for debating.

IFA president John Bryan described Mr Murphy as a "champion of rural Ireland and a superb communicator". He said "his enthusiasm was evident right to the end". Mr Murphy played "an important role in the setting up of the IFA and was very influential through his work on the Landmarkprogramme".

A resident of Sandymount, Dublin, he was from Clonegal in Co Carlow and kept a life-long interest in his home place.

Mr Murphy, who died suddenly after returning from a holiday in Connemara, is survived by his wife Bridie, two daughters, two sons and two grandchildren.