Death: April 13th, 2021
Ted (Thaddeus J) Murphy, who has died aged 85, is best associated with the Winegeese, a term he coined out of the Wild Geese, for those families who in the 17th and 18th centuries fled from Ireland to Bordeaux among other locations,where they were safe from rebellion, violated treaties, suppression of religion and anti-commerce legislation. He spotted a thread to wine, and in a few years had files filled with facts and surprising links.
He started with the Lawtons, the oldest wine-broking family in Bordeaux, who had owned substantial land in west and north Cork. The original Hugh Lawton had been mayor of Cork in 1776, a banker and a wine merchant. A descendent of his, another Hugh (Hugues), introduced Murphy to other families in Bordeaux, and led to his fascination, often obsession, with the rich history of the connections between Ireland and the wines of the world.