Tommy Murray R.I.P.

Very sad news here in Trim with the announcement of the sudden death of poet and author, a good friend of Boyne Writers, Tommy Murray.

Tommy was well known, not only in Meath but all over the country, was widely published and had won many awards. He had just announced on his blog that Skylight poets are including one of his poems in their new magazine which will be launched in Galway in January. He read in Navan Library on the recent All Ireland Poetry Day (picture above).

He was the leader of Meath Writers Circle and a tutor in Navan Library of creative writing classes. His classes of younger writers have published many volumes of their poetry and prose. Indeed the launch of the latest Meath Juniors Writers Anthology, the fifth, was fixed for Thursday 15 November and recently Tommy asked me to speak at the launch.

Tommy contributed a foreword to the first issue of Boyne Berries and his poetry was included in many issues. His leadership of his Meath Writers Circle team at the annual Battle of the Books made that event a most enjoyable and keenly looked-forward to event. His own contributions were always a highlight of the contests.

He published his first poetry collection Something Beginning with Spring in 1989 with an introduction by John B. Keane. Recently two of his books of poetry have been published by Lapwing, Counting Stained Glass Windows in 2009 and Swimming with Dolphins earlier this year. He also published a large number of books of local history. He was also a frequent and sometimes controversial contributor to Focus, Trim's local news magazine.

He will be sorely missed in Trim and beyond.

We offer our condolences to his wife, Josephine, his family and wide circle of friends.