(ROLLING STOCK MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR)
(535)
Born at Dungarvan in County Waterford, Ireland on 16 August 1938 and educated at Garrabane National School where he obtained his Primary Certificate.
He emigrated to England in 1955, aged 17 years and served his apprenticeship on gas plant contruction.
Married Miss Rose Smyth from Nobber, County Meath, Ireland at St. Edwards Roman Catholic Church, Aylestone on 11 August 1962. They had three children, two sons Liam and Aidan and a daughter Rosaleen. Aidan was born in Ireland.
He was employed by the Leicester City Transport Department from 1961-1966. The family went to live in Ireland from 1966-1969 prior to returning to Leicester. He worked for British Rail from 1971 onwards, initially as a riveter and welder and then as a Rolling Stock Maintenance Supervisor from 1975 onwards.
Councillor Dunphy was first elected to the City Council in May 1972 as a Labour Party Councillor for the Aylestone Ward and, with the re-organisation of Local Government in 1973 he was elected to serve on the new Leicester District Council and also on the new Leicestershire County Council. He was unsuccessful in City Council elections in 1976 and did not contest the Leicestershire County Council elections the following year.
Councillor Dunphy was re-elected to the City Council in 1979. The Aylestone Ward, which he represented, was later reduced in size and he became a Councillor for the newly created Eyres Monsell Ward. He served on a number of major Committees, including the Works Committee of which he was Vice-Chairman in the early 1970’s. From 1979-1985, he was the Chairman of the Transport Committee and he chaired the Promotion Campaign from 1986-1992.
Councillor Dunphy was the Chairman of Leicester Number 4 Branch of the National Union of Railwaymen and the Chairman of the Eyres Monsell Branch of the Labour Party from 1984 onwards. Both he and his wife attended the St John Bosco,Roman Catholic Church in Pasley Road, Eyres Monsell and were members of the St Patrick’s Irish Club in Abbey Street, Leicester.
He was the Chairman of the Tourist Board and Leicester Tourism Development Limited from—until April 1993.
He was appointed High Bailiff of the City on 21 May 1992 for the year 1992-93.
Councillor Dunphy was elected to the office of Lord Mayor of the City on 20 May 1993. He had the proud distinction of being the first Irish-born Lord Mayor of Leicester. He chose his wife Rose as his Lady Mayoress. Mrs Dunphy, who was a qualified social worker, was the Deputy Director (Residential Services) of the Royal Leicestershire, Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind.
The outstanding feature of Councillor Dunphy’s Year of Office was the visit to the City of Her Majesty The Queen on 9 December 1993. Whilst in Leicester, Her Majesty opened the new Queen’s Building (School of Engineering and Manufacture) at De Montfort University. Her Majesty formally opened the new Phase 4 of the Leicester Royal Infirmary, which was named the Windsor Building, and visited the Avalon Community Education Project in Duxbury Road.
The Lord Mayor also met Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent when she opened Phase 2 of the Glenfield General Hospital on 2 March 1994.
The Lord Mayor had the distinction of presiding over the ceremony, which marked the presentation of the Freedom of the City of Leicester to Professor Alec Jeffreys, FRS on 27 August 1993 in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall. Professor Jeffreys, who was only the thirty-third person to receive the Freedom of the City of Leicester, was honoured for his pioneering work in relation to the universally adopted ‘genetic fingerprinting’ technique.
An innovation introduced by Councillor Dunphy, was ‘The Lord Mayor’s Ambassador Award,’ with the aim of identifying someone who had made a major contribution to the City. The person chosen was Mrs Olwen Hughes, an artist and retired schoolteacher, who was invited to attend official functions alongside the Lord Mayor.
Councillor Dunphy visited Ireland in September 1993 where he, and the Lady Mayoress, received an enthusiastic and joyful homecoming to their places of birth and childhood – Dungarvan, County Waterford and Nobber, County Meath respectively. They later paid a Civic Visit to Kilkenny in March 1994 and a delegation from Kilkenny visited Leicester two months later.
An historic event took place on 11 October 1993 with the signing of a twinning agreement with the City of Chongqing in China. This was followed by the first Civic Visit to Chongqing by a Lord Mayor of Leicester, which took place in April 1994. The aim was to promote business and trade links between the two cities.
Councillor Dunphy’s Mayoralty will be remembered for his ‘Welcome Home Appeal’ on behalf of the Royal Leicestershire, Rutland and Wycliffe Society for the Blind. The Lord Mayor’s Appeal was to support the Society’s campaign to provide purpose-built homes for young visually impaired people who suffered with additional disabilities. The Appeal raised the sum of £137,333.57.
Councillor Dunphy’s Year of Office was concluded on 19 May 1994 whereupon he was appointed Deputy Lord Mayor for the year 1994/95.
