Christopher MURRAY

Condolences to the family of Prof Murray. Memories of a man who wore his learning lightly and shared it widely.

Dear Kathleen - I was very sorry to hear of Chris's passing. It was a privilege to have been taught by him, and a pleasure to meet him in the library, when he often stopped for a few words. My thoughts are with you and all the family as you mourn. With deepest sympathy, Avril

My sincere condolences to the Murray family. I was an undergraduate student and was lucky enough to have been taught by Chris. I loved his lectures. He always afforded the time to offer helpful advice and feedback. And I remember fondly today a conversation about some of the greats of Irish Theatre. A truly wonderful person. May he rest in peace.

my sympathty to the murray family i am a long lost cousin who originally met christy about 50 years ago when i lived in glasgow. many decades later he taught my daughter michelle. he was a wonderful kind academic.

My very deep sympathy to you Kathleen and to all the family. I was shocked and saddened to hear that Chris had died, may he rest in peace.

My deepest condolences to all the Murray family. I am so sorry to hear of your great loss. It was a privilege to have studied under Chris at UCD. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal dílis.

Felicity, so sorry to learn of the sad loss of your father. May he rest in peace.

Sincere sympathy to Kathleen and all the Murray family on the death of Chris. We had very interesting conversations at IASIL conferences over the years, and visited many unusual places in convivial company.
Suaimhneas síoraí dá anam uasal.

On behalf of the Brazilian Association of Irish Studies and the WBYeats Chair of Irish Studies at the University of São Paulo I would like to express our deep condolences to Professor Chris Murray's dear wife Kate and their family. We treasure nice memories of his and Kate's stay in Brazil in 2002 for the first IASIL Conference in South America when he was its President. His knowledge and kindness will live forever.

I am so sorry to hear about the death of Chris, and send my sincere sympathies to all the family. Christopher Murray was the head of the MA Drama when I studied at UCD, and was an excellent teacher and an inspiring scholar. I enjoyed meeting him in later life at conferences and other events. He was always encouraging, and genuinely interested in other people's work. His warm manner, kindness, and great knowledge of theatre and Irish theatre will be much missed in Ireland and around the world.

Deepest sympathy, Kathleen and family, on the sad loss of Chris. May he Rest in Peace.

Very sorry to hear about Chris's death and my sincere condolences to his family and friends. Chris was that unusual mixture: both a scholar and a gentleman. I greatly admired his work, and his quiet way of steering a discussion or underpinning an argument. I recall some terrific moments with him at various conferences. He was a really important analyst and commentator on the shifting tides of both contemporary and classic Irish theatre and always wrote with clarity, depth and understanding. His warmth and knowledge will be greatly missed.

I remember Chris with fondness, admiration, and respect, for his erudition and scholarship, the depth and breadth of his knowledge about theatre, and his leadership in IASIL. May his memory be a blessing to all who loved him.

I was saddened to learn of the death of Chris and I offer my condolences to Kathleen and to all the family on your loss. My memories of Chris go back to UCG in the early 1960s, when he was at the start (as a tutor in English) of what would blossom into a distinguished academic career. Scholarly, courteous, understated but with steady authority, he leaves warm memories to all who were fortunate to know him. Solas na bhFlaitheas dá anam uasal.

Dear Kathleen,
I was shocked and very sad to read of your beloved Chris’s death, and I offer my deepest condolences to you and your family at this time of great loss. It was always lovely to meet Chris at family gatherings over the years, he had a gentle, calming presence.
Mary Burke,
Limerick

Chris was always so kind to me. I wish I had better words to express what that meant to me. But first he was an unshakable friend to my father, and the care he took with him on my dad’s last trip to Dublin will always remain beyond any means of gratitude. Chris, you are missed. I hope you and my dad are having a great laugh together in the hereafter.

I was so sorry to hear of the death of Chris. He was a most courteous and kindly man and was a great support to us in Carysfort Press, making many valuable contributions to our publications. My husband Robert joins me in sending our deepest sympathies to you Kate and all the family in your great loss.

So sorry to hear this sad news, deepest condolences to all the family on your loss. May Chris rest in peace, and his meticulous theatrical legacy live on. It was a privilege to be a student of his in UCD Drama Studies.

Our deep sympathy to Kathleen, Paul, Felicity, (young) Chris and all the family, as we ourselves are heartbroken in sharing the loss. Chris never ceased to impress with his huge and wide-ranging knowledge paired with unusual modesty, with his gentleness, generosity and warmth in helping and encouraging us as scholar, mentor, colleague and friend. The void that he leaves behind, the now-changed landcape of all Ireland in the eye of the mind, is beyond words. Yet it is such a joy and privilege that we’ve known him, that we worked together on several occasions, and, most of all that we could have him as a most cherished friend. May he rest in peace, and may God stay with the family.

My deepest sympathy to Kathleen,Paul,Felicity and Chris on the very sad passing of Christy.My thoughts and prayers are with you all at this very difficult time.
Maura Tobin (Nee Murphy )Stradbally Co Laois( formerly of Aghadrumdoney,Scotshouse )

My deep condolences to Kathleen, Paul, Felicity and Chris. Chris was a wonderful colleague who leaves a long legacy and I am especially grateful for all of his kindness and support to me and to all at IASIL. The message of condolence from IASIL's executive committee is at https://www.iasil.org/2024/03/notice-professor-christopher-murray/
Fear uasal.

Truly "a darlin' man, a daarlin' man" in the words of his beloved O'Casey whose life and work he honoured so wonderfully in his biography. Chris was for me and in this order, an exemplary lecturer; a correctly demanding and supportive supervisor of my research (on the later O'Casey); a colleague and advocate; and a kindly, curious and always encouraging presence over the 50+ years I knew him. He will be greatly missed and I send my sympathies to you, Kathleen and all the Murray family in your great loss.

My sincere condolences to the Murray family at this very sad time. Prof Murray’s scholarship will continue to inspire us. Although I did not know him, every colleague who ever mentioned him spoke of his kindness and generosity to students and colleagues alike—what a wonderful legacy. May he rest in peace.

Dear Felicity, my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to you, your mum, brothers and extended family on the death of your dad. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time. May your dad rest in peace.
Sincerely, Iris (UCD).

Felicity,

So sorry to hear the very sad news of the passing of your Father, Chris.

Thinking of you and all the family at this time.

Sincere condolences to Kathleen and family. Chris was a wonderful man, a great mentor and teacher, a fantastic scholar and writer, and so extraordinarily kind and thoughtful. And terrific company. It was such a privelege and a joy to know him and be taught by him and work with him. Our most sincere sympathies at this very sad time.

Kathleen, so very sad to read of your great loss. Condolences to you and your family. Jane

Very sincere sympathies to Kathleen and the Murray family. Chris was an inspiring teacher - I don't think I would be doing the job I have now without the influence of his drama lectures at UCD. He was also exceptionally kind and encouraging, and when I started writing about theatre myself he often sent on kind messages or information in response (I have a folder on my desk right now with some of his work on Shakespeare in Ireland in it). I will miss him very much and feel very lucky to have known him. May he rest in peace.

My deepest sympathy and prayers for you Kathleen and your entire family, on the loss of the wonderful Christopher.
I remember you both with Margaret and Mary in Scotshouse upon your visits from Yale. I will try to call you on your home phone from Pennsylvania.

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
I JOHN 2:1&2 KJV

Mala ipsa nova, plaudita, acta est fabula.

Our deepest sympathies to Kathleen and All your Family.
Thinking of you all at this very sad Time.
Thoughts and prayers are with you all.

From Tony and Mary Ennis Nee Stanley Rathfarnham and Tralee county Kerry

Deepest condolences to Kathleen and family. Always a pleasure to meet up over the years and now sorrow to part.

Paul — I'm so sorry for your loss. Deepest condolences to you and your family. Thinking of you at this sad time.

So very sorry to hear the news of Chris' passing. As a neighbour, and a lecturer of mine, I will always fondly remember him as kind, encouraging and always ready for a good conversation. In recent years, whenever I visited home, I would often see him and Kathleen walking together. My sincerest condolences to Kathleen and their children on their very sad loss.

Deepest sympathy to Kathleen, Paul, Felicity and Chris and extended family on the passing of Christopher. May his gentle soul rest in peace. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Sincere sympathy to Kathleen and family on the loss of Christy (who gave me very good advice the one time I met him many years ago). May he Rest In Peace.

RIP Chris, Condolences to all the family

Dear Kathleen and family,
My sympathies on the passing of Chris. He was an inspiring lecturer, a gifted scholar who's work greatly enhanced the profile of Irish theatre internationally, and a warm and supportive colleague. He will be greatly missed but leaves behind a huge scholarly legacy that will continue to illuminate the world of theatre.

My deepest sympathy to all the Murray family. Chris was a great mentor to me when I was studying for MA in UCD and his huge knowledge of theatre was generously shared. He was most supportive of all my drama ventures throughout the years. HIs biography on Sean O'Casey is a monumental achievement. I will sorely miss his calm judgement and insight.
Hail and farewell!

Dear Kathleen I wish to express my condolences to you and Chris's loved ones on his sad passing. As a former student at UCD and theatre practitioner his impact was immense. Go gently in your grief.

At Gaiety School of Acting we express our huge sadness at the news of the death of Professor Christopher Murray, former esteemed Chair of the Board, who dedicated 22 years to our school between 1995 and 2017.

Emeritus Professor of Drama and Theatre History, School of English, Drama and Film at University College Dublin, Chris was a highly distinguished scholar and devotee of Irish drama, and under his stewardship Gaiety School of Acting grew in strength and reputation. His dedication and careful guidance of our organisation was to the benefit of a generation of Irish acting talent that has made a huge impact on stage and screen nationally and internationally.

Colleagues remember Chris as a gentleman, with endless kindness and grace. His lasting legacy will continue to inspire new generations of actors and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude. We offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Dear Kathleen,
Please accept our most sincere sympathy on the loss of Chris. We were very sorry to hear the sad news from our daughter Cathy ( who is a work colleague and friend of your daughter Felicity.
As you know, we,'go back far' with yourself and Chris,since our wonderful days in UCG. Throughout his brilliant academic career, he remained the same Chris, always kindly, witty, and considerate.It was a pleasure to meet him whenever he visited the Library as a reader, and to get together, over the years, for a coffee, or a meal.
So many good friends of ours like Chris are now imithe ar Sli na Firinne.

Solas na bhFlathais ar a anam uasal,dilis

Thinking of you
With every good wish, Mary and Donall

My deepest sympathies to Chris's family on their sad loss. Chris was a wise presence in UCD, a gentle man and a sterling contributor to theatre in Ireland.

My heartfelt sympathy to Kathleen and the whole family. Chris's death is a terrible loss to the Irish literary and theatre studies community all over the world. He was an excellent scholar always ready to help others in their career, including me. May he rest in peace!

Very sad to hear of the passing of Chris and my sincere condolences to all the family. Chris taught me at UCD in the 1970’s and we stayed in touch thereafter. He was a man who was passionate about the theatre and was very supportive of me before during and after my time at the Abbey. He invited me from time to time to contribute to publications he edited and I was honoured to launch his superb biography of Sean O Casey, one of the many writers whose life and work he illuminated with his quiet and incisive scholarship. If there was a man who exemplified the term ‘a gentleman and a scholar’ it was Chris. We will all miss him.

Sincere condolences to Chris’s family. As a lecturer he was deeply encouraging, and as a colleague he was courteous, kind and supportive, and his editorship of the IUR has left a key legacy for scholars today and to come - for this and much more he will be fondly remembered.

So sorry to hear about Christopher. He was a lovely man and a great scholar

My deepest sympathy to you all, Kathleen, Paul, Felicity and Chris and to your and all Christopher's family and in-laws on your most untimely loss. He was such a gentle, kindly and interesting man who wore lightly his considerable intellect. May he rest in peace.

So deeply sorry to learn of Chris's sudden and untimely passing. He was a formidably gifted student of theatre, a great scholar and biographer, and a gentle and ever-courteous man. "God looks graciously from afar upon a gentle master. "
Harry White, UCD

Sincere condolences to Kathleen, Paul, Felicity and Chris and the extended Murray family. May Christopher rest in peace.

Sincere condolences to the family. Chris was a kind and always courteous man. I was lucky enough to be his student in UCD in the late 80s and met him again down through the years. He had a vast knowledge of Irish theatre and was always generous and encouraging to scholars and students of all ages.

Deepest sympathy to Kathleen and family and all who knew and loved Christopher.May he rest in peace.

Deepest sympathy to Kathleen and the Murray family at this very sad time. Chris was a great lecturer when I was an undergrad over thirty years ago. He instilled in me a great love of drama studies, attending plays and critically evaluating them. We met again many years later when I typed for him for a period of time, notably his O'Casey biography. His knowledge of the theatre scene in Ireland was astounding, sharing his faultless memory of productions, actors, directors and sets with me over a coffee in town or Dun Laoghaire. But, modest and generous man that he was, he'd listen with keen interest to my rambling reviews of the plays I'd recently seen in London. A gentle, kind and very courteous man, I was honoured to spend those memorable times with Chris.

Sincere sympathy to Kathleen and the Murray family on your sad loss. May he rest in peace.

My sympathies to Kathleen and the Murray family. Uncle Christy was a lovely quiet man, a gentleman and of course a scholar.

Sincere condolences to Chris, Paul and all the family. Chris was a truly welcoming and encouraging academic whose role in the International Association for the Study of Irish Literature is remembered fondly by many of us.

My sincerest sympathy to you Kathleen and your family on the death of Chris. I was truly sorry to hear that he died. May he rest in peace. Dympna

Christopher Murray's writings on Irish theatre hugely influenced my own work, and the work of many theatre historians. Although I did not know him well, my brief conversations with him were both inspiring and friendly. My condolences to his family friends and colleagues. His legacy endures.

Deepest sympathies to all the Murray family . My parents Mary and Doney spoke often about the lovely times they had with Christopher when they were first married in Donegal and he came to visit . Fun was had at nights listening to world service , he would have been around eighteen . Lovely memories my love to you all Moya

Kathleen,

I was sorry to read of the death of Chris. I felt I knew him as he was great friends with my father in law Con through swimming, and again through our many conversations in Salthill Bridge Club. Yourself and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers over the coming days.