AN OUTPOURING of sadness has been expressed following the death of Quilty’s Peggy Morrissey, the mother of popular RTÉ broadcaster Marty.
Peggy who was in her nineties, was a native of Cork died in a single-vehicle crash at Annagh, Miltown Malbay at approximately 00:30 on Tuesday where she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. They are particularly appealing to any road users who were travelling on this road at the time with camera footage to make this available to them. Anyone with information is asked to contact Kilrush Garda station on 065 908 0550, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
A popular member of the parish of Kilmurry Ibrickane, Peggy attended mass every morning at Mullagh Church and would return every evening to say the Rosary, she was also a Eucharistic Minister.
As newlyweds in the 1950s, Peggy and her late husband Martin left Ireland for New York. He set up a travel business, Morrissey Travel in The Bronx while she worked as a receptionist in a local university, she was also a hairdresser.
When Peggy became pregnant with Marty in 1958, she flew back to Ireland in order to have her baby in Cork. Marty was born at Mount Alvernia Hospital in Mallow. Peggy returned to New York with her baby son one month later.
On any occasion that Marty spoke publicly about his mother, he did so with great demonstrating the close relationship and bond they shared. “My mother is a great bit of stuff altogether. I mean God, she’s got great spirit and she’s just a wonderful lady,” he said previously.
He credited Peggy with ensuring he never got too carried away despite his successful media career. “Her usual line is ‘Never ever get a big head. You’re my son keep your feet on the ground and always remain humble no matter what you do, and be nice’, so they were ingrained in me”.
An only child, Marty’s father died seventeen years ago. In a previous interview, he commended his mother for how she managed to cope with his loss, “it’s been hard on her but she’s a great warrior and I’m very proud of her”.
This pride was replicated with Peggy particularly satisfied of her son’s achievements, even though she would encourage him to return to the teaching profession in West Clare on numerous occasions.
In May of last year, ‘Marty in the Shed’ was broadcast from the shed of the Morrissey home in Quilty during the lockdown as he interviewed guests such as Chris O’Dowd, Nicky Byrne, Davy Fitzgerald, Aidan O’Shea, Oliver Callan, Aoibhíin Garrihy and Bernard O’Shea.
RTÉ sports journalist, Darren Frehill said that Peggy “meant the world” to Marty. Ennis native, broadcaster Colm Flynn remarked the “whole country” was thinking of Marty following “such sad news, especially at a time that is meant to be joyful”. Ennistymon based business journalist, Gabrielle Monaghan said she was “heartbroken for Marty”. She recalled, “I remember a recent radio interview he gave about how much he missed his Dad when he died and how close he was to Peggy”.
“Peggy would have had a wonderful life and was a great woman and had a great network of family and friends and had all the positives you would like to see everyone have in their lives,” Cllr Shane Talty (FF) commented.
