When Neil Murphy stood down at December's Howth Yacht Club AGM after two years as the Commodore of Ireland's largest membership sailing club, it was only the conclusion of an admittedly very crowded chapter in a many-chaptered ongoing sailing career which has seen decades of his numerous boat-related activities afloat and ashore.
Yet he fulfilled this particular top role with such calm competence that it was difficult to avoid thinking that all his diverse previous experience was aligned to provide him with the enthusiasm and the many skills needed to be Howth's main man for two demanding years. He personifies sailing as a family endeavour, as he co-owns the actively raced and successful Puppeteer 22 Yellow Peril with his brother-in-law Con Costello.
Hard racing men. Neil Murphy at the helm of the Puppeteer 22 Yellow Peril in close racing at Howth. Photo: W M Nixon
He also continued to play his part as a Race Officer in Howth's extraordinarily busy programme, while as a shrewd observer of races from the Committee Boat, his instinctive photographic skills passed with honours through the ultimate test of showing how a Howth 17 jackyard topsail can be set most nearly to perfection. He is a man of many talents who has been a successful leader of a club for all seasons and all sailors.
A sailor's eye for a boat. Neil Murphy's photo of three jackyard-topsail-setting Howth 17 could be used in a text book about these demanding sails. All three here are well set, but Peter Courtney's Oona on the left is wellnigh perfect. Photo: Neil Murphy
