Those who frequent the 12 o’clock mass in Star of the Sea Church will be aware that Eilis Murray the organist of 16 years has retired. Eilis from Mount Merrion and originally from Sandymount, ended her role as organist for the Church back in December 2004.

While growing up in Sandymount, Eilis was introduced to music at a very early age by her mother and father who were both singers. In St. Louis in Rathmines, where she went to school her music teachers also had a great influence on her. Eilis has met a lot of famous people while playing the organ and indeed has given great pleasure to many more.

Her involvement with the church goes back almost 24 years. Together with Jack Gallagher, she started working on the church bulletin in the basement of Leahy Terrace, and she’s still doing this job today.

It was during this time she used to help her Aunt, Mrs Pauline Murray, who was the Church organist. Eilis went on to play the organ herself and when Pauline passed away Monsignor O’Regan asked if she would take over the position. Initially, she agreed to do it for 3 months.
There’s no question of Eilis retiring for rest purposes, she has a finger in so many pies. What she really needs is a few more days in the week.

Eilis sang with the St. James’s choir for 26 years, and is now singing with Cantabile, she also plays piano for the Bel Canto’s, a group of 5 singers who take time out to sing in Nursing Homes around Donnybrook, Clonskeagh and Leeson Park. This gives Eilis the greatest satisfaction as everyone joins in and the atmosphere is terrific.

Even with that busy schedule, she still finds time to take a dip every morning, summer and winter, at Seapoint, enough to put most of us to shame. She is also a voluntary librarian in the Royal Hospital in Donnybrook. Eilis loves to travel and would like to spend some time visiting family around the country.

Eilis would like to express her thanks to the choir for their support and all the wonderful music they shared over the years– she will miss them greatly. Also, her thanks go to the Church and everyone else who participated in the wonderful send-off she received, I could sense the emotion as Eilis described the concelebrated mass and reception afterwards that was held in honour of her retirement.

The picture above was taken on the occassion of the first Mass said at the official opening of Marian College on 8th September 1954. Students are pictured with the Marist brothers and Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid, centre. Perhaps you, our readers can identify some of the boys and brothers in the picture.