Farewell to Dervla Murphy
Farewell to Dervla Murphy
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61555159
A traveller and writer who sparked the desire to roam on a bicycle in many of us.
A traveller and writer who sparked the desire to roam on a bicycle in many of us.
- simonineaston
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Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
Oh, sad. What an adventurer!
see books here on Amazon. Loads more than just the trip to India I knew about.
see books here on Amazon. Loads more than just the trip to India I knew about.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
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Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
I'm in the middle of 'The Waiting Land' having just picked up six of her books in a recent second hand book buying frenzy.
I read 'Full Tilt'some years ago and would highly recommend 'The Island that Dared' if you want to know how the US has destroyed Cuba or 'Between River ans Sea' to understand the apartheid system and ethnic cleansing that continues unabated in Palestine.
And that's what she was all about. She traveled with purpose, and fearlessly embraced and immersed herself in every culture she encountered.
A very unique lady who will be sadly missed .
I read 'Full Tilt'some years ago and would highly recommend 'The Island that Dared' if you want to know how the US has destroyed Cuba or 'Between River ans Sea' to understand the apartheid system and ethnic cleansing that continues unabated in Palestine.
And that's what she was all about. She traveled with purpose, and fearlessly embraced and immersed herself in every culture she encountered.
A very unique lady who will be sadly missed .
Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
Yes, she wrote some excellent books but more importantly she was a great traveller.
I have travelled for many years and often read her books for information and inspiration.
Full Tilt was wonderful and showed what could be done. Also a sad reflection on more innocent days and on the road hospitality, before the mass overland travel to India.
One Foot in Lao was a very early cycle tour in Lao. In her usual style she just bought a cheapo bike (shopper?) and off she went. I cycled there many times in the early 2000s but never matched her low key style of travel.
Also vaguely remember reading Six Feet In The Andes (her and a donkey) before one of my S American trips.
A spunky woman whose 'attitude' certainly hardened as time went on and nothing wrong with that.
I don't think rest in peace is appropriate for such a restless person. So maybe just thanks.
I have travelled for many years and often read her books for information and inspiration.
Full Tilt was wonderful and showed what could be done. Also a sad reflection on more innocent days and on the road hospitality, before the mass overland travel to India.
One Foot in Lao was a very early cycle tour in Lao. In her usual style she just bought a cheapo bike (shopper?) and off she went. I cycled there many times in the early 2000s but never matched her low key style of travel.
Also vaguely remember reading Six Feet In The Andes (her and a donkey) before one of my S American trips.
A spunky woman whose 'attitude' certainly hardened as time went on and nothing wrong with that.
I don't think rest in peace is appropriate for such a restless person. So maybe just thanks.
Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
How sad, what an inspirational traveller who showed what you don't need to travel by bike.
Along with Laurie Lee, Bettina Selby, Josie Dew and others they encouraged me to try local rides and travel near and far.
Truly missed.
Along with Laurie Lee, Bettina Selby, Josie Dew and others they encouraged me to try local rides and travel near and far.
Truly missed.
- simonineaston
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- Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
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Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
There's an obit in the Graun today here.
Last edited by simonineaston on 25 May 2022, 7:18pm, edited 1 time in total.
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
I've neither heard of her nor read any of her books - my loss ! - but is this all a bit preachy? I can get a bit tired of people telling how we should react to events, I'd much rather read the kind of travel books that tell me how much the writer enjoyed the travel.I read 'Full Tilt'some years ago and would highly recommend 'The Island that Dared' if you want to know how the US has destroyed Cuba or 'Between River ans Sea' to understand the apartheid system and ethnic cleansing that continues unabated in Palestine.
Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
But there's also something a bit creepy about people who visit troubled parts of the world as tourists and don't take any interest in the problems of the people around them.Tiggertoo wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 7:10pmI've neither heard of her nor read any of her books - my loss ! - but is this all a bit preachy? I can get a bit tired of people telling how we should react to events, I'd much rather read the kind of travel books that tell me how much the writer enjoyed the travel.I read 'Full Tilt'some years ago and would highly recommend 'The Island that Dared' if you want to know how the US has destroyed Cuba or 'Between River ans Sea' to understand the apartheid system and ethnic cleansing that continues unabated in Palestine.
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Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
To quote Dervla from the obituary:pwa wrote: ↑26 May 2022, 3:48pmBut there's also something a bit creepy about people who visit troubled parts of the world as tourists and don't take any interest in the problems of the people around them.Tiggertoo wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 7:10pmI've neither heard of her nor read any of her books - my loss ! - but is this all a bit preachy? I can get a bit tired of people telling how we should react to events, I'd much rather read the kind of travel books that tell me how much the writer enjoyed the travel.I read 'Full Tilt'some years ago and would highly recommend 'The Island that Dared' if you want to know how the US has destroyed Cuba or 'Between River ans Sea' to understand the apartheid system and ethnic cleansing that continues unabated in Palestine.
On that first journey through Afghanistan on her bike, Dervla was appalled to meet foreigners who never talked to an Afghan, let alone entered their homes: “All they had done was photograph them.” In Full Tilt, she describes meeting a 25-year-old American boy, typical of those she met on the trip: “For them, travel is more a going away from rather than going towards, and they seem empty and unhappy and bewildered and pathetically anxious for companionship, yet are afraid to commit themselves to any ideal or cause or other individual.”
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Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
Frankly I'd agree she was 'preachy'. I wrote this about her books on the forum a few months ago:Tiggertoo wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 7:10pm I've neither heard of her nor read any of her books - my loss ! - but is this all a bit preachy? I can get a bit tired of people telling how we should react to events, I'd much rather read the kind of travel books that tell me how much the writer enjoyed the travel.
Years ago I read Dervla Murphy's book 'Through Siberia by Accident'. She is /was a long-term cyclist tourist and author, though in that book she spent almost no time cycling because of injury. Though I quite liked her books they always told a similar story about the people she met - so nice, so hospitable, really friendly, somehow better than westerners and in this particular book lots of excuses for Russians, Russia, the Soviet Union etc. What she wrote was good but I often felt faintly anti-west, definitely anti-Israel but determined to see the best in other cultures and sometimes that actually not being much deserved.
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Dervla Murphy 90 RIP
Murphy, born in Lismore, Co Waterford, was best known for her book Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle about cycling through Europe, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. She published 26 books about her adventures on cycling (Source:Times)
Re: Dervla Murphy 90 RIP
Discussed here [topics merged by moderator]
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life
https://stcleve.wordpress.com/category/lejog/
E2E info
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E2E info
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Re: Dervla Murphy 90 RIP
Apologies did not see that one
Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
"And that's what she was all about. She traveled with purpose, and fearlessly embraced and immersed herself in every culture she encountered.
A very unique lady who will be sadly missed ."
Just so. A good person as well as brave and adventurous. Very few like her.
Travel in Peace.
A very unique lady who will be sadly missed ."
Just so. A good person as well as brave and adventurous. Very few like her.
Travel in Peace.
Re: Farewell to Dervla Murphy
I'm going to respond to this and make a statement:
Following the reference to her on this forum I got three of her books from the library:
Cameroon with Egbert
Muddling through Madagascar
South from Limpopo
What could have been tales of discovery to wet the appetite of any who might chose to follow after her was in fact in all of these books a diatribe of all the ills white man had visited upon these poor unfortunate peoples. Each descriptive passage became a nauseating litany of everything white men have done every where she had been.
In truth she established herself as a white hating racist. I gave up and returned the books.
Following the reference to her on this forum I got three of her books from the library:
Cameroon with Egbert
Muddling through Madagascar
South from Limpopo
What could have been tales of discovery to wet the appetite of any who might chose to follow after her was in fact in all of these books a diatribe of all the ills white man had visited upon these poor unfortunate peoples. Each descriptive passage became a nauseating litany of everything white men have done every where she had been.
In truth she established herself as a white hating racist. I gave up and returned the books.