Funeral of Wicklow demolition expert told he ‘took on jobs nobody else would do’

Martin 'Murt' Mulligans' nephew Padraig Hyland delivered a touching tribute to the "quiet and gentle" octogenarian at the St Mary & Peter's Church in Arklow, where the rich life of the vastly knowledgeable businessman and vintage machinery enthusiast was celebrated by his hometown community.

Murt, from Mellowe's Avenue, and the love of his life Grace (née Hyland), with whom he had four sons – Thomas, Hugh and the late Martin and Peter – left Irish shores for Manchester, England, in the 1960s, before returning home to establish the acclaimed Mulligan Dismantling & Salvage in Scarnagh, just across the Wexford border.

Praised for his hard-working attitude and "heart of gold", Murt always made time to help others, supporting charities and fundraising organisations in Arklow like East Coast Classic and Vintage Club and the RNLI, and was a fixture in the Arklow St Patrick's Day parade, with his black and red Mulligan machinery a firm favourite in the seaside town.

Described by mourners as a kind soul, unique gentleman and a "recycling legend", Murt's major passion in life was vintage machinery, with he and Grace packing up the camper to visit vintage shows and horse fairs the length and breadth of Ireland and the UK.

After Murt's coffin was carried into the church, a collection of symbols were placed on top, including his hat, which he wore daily to protect him from the elements, a cross to represent his faith, the vintage cup that he had won so many times at the St Patrick's Day parade and a photograph of some vintage machinery and scrap to symbolise the successful company that he had built.

After thanking the community on behalf of the Mulligan and Hyland families for their kindness and condolences over the past few "difficult days and weeks", and especially for being present at the funeral, Murt's nephew Padraig spoke eloquently about his uncle's well-lived life.

"As most of you know, Murt was a shy and modest man," he began.

"He never showed off in any way, and he would absolutely hate the idea of anyone standing up here talking about him, or about how great he was.

"But, if you look at the list of condolences on rip.ie, and the words most used to describe Murt, such as a 'true gentleman', 'hard worker', 'straight and honest man', and you hear the kind things that have been said about him over the past few days, I think he deserves all the praise we can give him – and maybe more.

"Murt was born here in Arklow in 1943. He was one of five children, with three sisters, Doreen, Rita and Mary, here today, and his late brother Dan.

"Ireland was a hard place in those war years, and without much money, it was a difficult life for any child. But life was made even more difficult and more of a challenge for Murt when both his parents died very early, leaving his sister Doreen and Murt to raise and provide for the family, and they were only in their teens themselves.

"Murt didn't have much time for school then, and he had to set to work drawing timber and forestry to help the family survive. By all accounts, life was tough, and those were dark days. Until the age of 18 years, some light did come into Murt's life when he met the great love of his life, Gracie.

"Gracie was a little bit older, not quite making Murt the toy boy, but close enough," he joked.

"My grandfather, Tom Hyland, Gracie's father, was blessed with the natural Irish pessimism of the time, and he said of the new couple: 'Ah, it's only a flash in the pan'.

"And, as Gracie has said many times over the years: 'Some flash in the pan, 62 years later!'.

"Murt and Gracie married, just out of their teens, and shortly after that, like many Irish at the time, they left Ireland in the early 60s for Salford in Manchester and a little terraced house on Craven Street.

"Murt was a hard worker, and he started in the scrap and demolition business. Working every day, rising at 5 o'clock in the morning, driving all over England to break up buildings and salvage scrap.

"It was tough, hard, dirty work, but, Murt was the best at it, and he eventually worked his way up to foreman, running the jobs and all the while being supported every day by Gracie, now with four boys to raise – Thomas, Martin, Hugh and Peter."

Describing Murt as "a man of few words, but when he spoke, you listened", Padraig said that he was a man of action who got things done and wouldn't ask anyone to do anything that he wasn't willing or able to do himself, adding that: "He didn't do contracts – his word was his bond".

"From speaking with some of the lads who worked for him through the years, his lifelong friend, Pat Kelly, Murt was always hard but fair. You got a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," he continued.

"In the early 1980s, the call of home was too much for Murt and the family, and they returned to Ireland, where he had to start all over again from scratch.

"I've talked to Murt a lot in the last few years, and I loved hearing the stories of how he started here with nothing and having to build a business over the years, without much schooling except for the hard school of life.

"He took on jobs nobody else would do. Dangerous jobs demolishing factories and buildings, sometimes in the dead of night. Working through the night, away from home for weeks.

"Dirt, dust, debris and rats the size of rabbits, he said at times. This was all before health and safety, hard hats and paperwork made him take a back-seat.

"He kept his lads close, Thomas and Hughie working with them all their lives, and now living only three doors away from them, back on Mellowe's Avenue, with life having gone full circle.

"He handed the reins to the lads, Thomas, Hugh and, of course, John Murphy, but by the time he had handed over the reins, he had built one of the most successful demolition, scrap and waste companies in Ireland.

"And, even though he never said it himself, I know he was proud of that, and as well he should be."

As Padraig explained, Murt was a simple man and a man of simple pleasures, enjoying a few pints and socialising. However, by far his greatest pleasure was his interest in vintage machinery and attending the fairs and shows all over Ireland and England.

"As anyone in Arklow knows, no St Patrick's Day parade would ever have been complete without a long line of black and red Mulligan machinery," Padraig said.

"As Murt told me, his favourite thing by far was heading off in the camper with Gracie to the vintage rallies and horse fairs, or to visit the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren who he loved so much.

"They said they didn't need anything at all except for each other, and, as Gracie said to me, maybe a toilet nearby!

"It was so obvious to everyone who knew them that Murt loved his family so much, and most of all, he loved Gracie so much. Like most of us, he probably didn't say it often enough, but it was understood.

"Poor Murt had his share of hardship and heartache too, with the death of his parents. But worse still, the untimely death of his beloved sons Martin and Peter, and recently, his brother Dan. These were terrible losses that Murt mourned deeply, all his life, until his own passing.

"Murt was very unwell in the last few years, but he had great support from family and friends, especially from Mary and Colm, Pat and Teresa, and, of course, his lifelong neighbours, Mary and Jimmy."

After paying special thanks for the care Murt received from Dr Foster, the team at the Beacon Hospital, all at the dialysis unit in St Vincent's Hospital and Steven, who drove Murt to dialysis treatment three times a week over the last couple of years, Padraig beautifully summed up his uncle's warm character, generous nature and hard-working ethos.

"Murt was a man of simple pleasures," he said.

"He didn't need the best car or the best clothes, but I think he had something even some of the richest men don't have. He had enough. He was happy with his lot.

"He had built a good marriage for 62 years, and he had built a hugely successful business from nothing. And, although he would never say it, I think he was proud of what he had achieved, and I know that his family was proud of him.

"If you believe in God, I'd like to think he's up in heaven now, hopefully with Martin and Peter by his side, driving an old Esso lorry in a big vintage parade in the sky. At his happiest, at peace.

"The long day's work is finally done now, Murt, and it's time for a rest after a life well lived.

"I said earlier that Gracie had asked me to say a few words because she knew I'd go on a bit, but maybe Gracie said it best herself.

"I asked her yesterday if there was anything she'd like to say, and she said no, but 'he was a good man, he worked hard every day, he always took care of his wife and his family.

"I suppose, if any of us had someone that said that about us at the end of our days, we'd be doing alright.

"A loving husband, and father, a true friend, a quiet and gentle man, rest in peace, Murt."

Martin 'Murt' Mulligan is survived by his wife Grace, sons Hugh and Thomas, siblings Doreen, Rita and Mary, grandchildren Martin, Lee and Natalie, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Murt was buried in St Gabriel's Cemetery in Arklow. May he rest in peace.