Fr. Michael Murphy was born in Ratheleen Templemartin in the Parish of Kilmurry in 1888, the eldest son Qt Stephen and Margaret Murphy. He was educated at the local national school and Farrenferris from where he proceeded in 1906 to St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, as a clerical student for the Diocese of Cork. After a brilliant Academic Career, especially in Celtic Studies and History he was ordained in Maynooth in 1913.

After ordination he was appointed as Chaplain to the Collatine Convent in UCC and after a short time was sent by the Bishop of Cork, for further studies in Germany, where he became sick during a long train journey, and as a result, he died of pneumonia. His premature death on Jan 18th 1916 his 27th year was a tragedy for his widowed mother, his 2 brothers Danny and Stephen, and also for the Church, his Bishop and the Diocese of Cork and native parish of Kilmurry.

As he was not yet attached to any parish, his mother requested that he be buried in Cloughduv Church grounds, but the then P.P. Canon Patrick Tracy turned it down and the alternative was the family grave in Kilbonane. But the new Bishop of Cork, Dr. Daniel Coholan who was a native of Gurranreigh interceded and he was interred in the Church Grounds where a Celtic Cross was erected over his grave.

(From Newsletter 5-5-95 by Sean Crowley)