The former CEO of North Tipperary VEC and former chairperson of the Tipperary Tourism Board Luke Murtagh has died. Mr Murtagh lived in Thomastown and Nenagh but was originally from county Westmeath. He taught business subjects and Irish in Tipperary Town and Cappawhite, Mullingar and Thomastown Vocational schools, where he was also school principal. Mr Murtagh died yesterday in the Milford Care Centre. Mr Murtagh had a distinguished career in Education and Public Service and also was a fluent Irish speaker and member of Conradh na Gaeilge.
Dr Murtagh completed a PhD in 2009 in Adult Education at Maynooth University where he was also adjunct lecturer. He served in many leadership roles as President of the Association of Chief Executive Officers of Vocational Education Committees and the Association of Principals of Vocational Schools and Colleges. Mr Murtagh led the inaugural Tipperary Tourism Board after he retired from the VEC in 2005 as a county wide company was established to develop and promote tourism in the county.
Mr Murtagh was a former Acting CEO of the then Tipperary Institute in Thurles, now a campus of the Technological University of the Shannon. He was honoured in 2014 as one of five inaugural Fellows of Limerick Institute of Technology for his visionary contribution to increasing local access to education. He was the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tipperary Energy Agency from 1998 until 2002 and also chairperson of the Tipperary Regional Youth service. Over the course of his career Mr Murtagh was also involved with the National Curriculum and Assessment Council and the National Council for Vocational Awards and served as Chairperson of the Tipperary Relay for Life Event.
Mr Murtagh is survived by his wife Anne and children Blathnaid, Niamh, Aoife, Fiona, Eoghan and Eamonn and extended family. Mr Murtagh’s funeral will be held in Nenagh tomorrow evening with Funeral mass on Wednesday in St. Mary of the Rosary Church Nenagh at 12 noon, followed by burial in Lisboney Lawn Cemetery.
