Murphy, William Martin

Murphy, William Martin (1844–1919), capitalist and politician. Born in Co. Cork, the son of a building contractor, Murphy acquired a large fortune from railway contracts and investments in Britain, South America, and Ireland. He established the Dublin United Tramways Company, before purchasing two nationalist newspapers, the Irish Catholic and Irish Independent, in 1904. He was home rule MP for the St Patrick's division of Dublin 1885–92. Murphy was the main influence behind the Irish International Exhibition of 1907, but refused a knighthood in that year. As founder of the Dublin Employers' Federation (1912), he led the counter‐attack against the growing labour militancy represented by the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union, culminating in the defeat of the unions in the Dublin lockout of 1913. On the outbreak of the First World War Murphy actively supported recruitment to the British army, even advocating the sacking of able‐bodied men who refused to enlist. Invited to the Irish Convention, he opposed partition, advocating dominion status. Murphy was typical of the affluent, conservative nationalists who dominated the Nationalist party.

Neal Garnham