Vivian Murray

Vivian Murray (22 July 1932 – 6 March 2009) was an Irish businessman. Murray served as the chief executive of the

Murray's first job was at local Irish post office in Clonmel following his graduation from high school.^[2] His other earlier occupations included positions at both Kelly and Shiel and Remington Rand.^[2] Murray also became the chairman of both An Post and Bord Iascaigh Mhara later in his career.^[1]

Personal life

Murray was born on 22 July 1932, in Clonmel, County Tipperary to parents, Jeremiah Murray and Mai Lynch Murray.^[2] He was one of six children in his family.^[2] Murray attended the Christian Brothers High School in his native Clonmel.^[2]

He married Nancy Clear and was father to

Murray's career began to take off when he was appointed general manager at the Irish National Development Association. The organisation would later be renamed the Irish Goods Council and was funded by the Irish government.^[2] Under Murray, the Irish Goods Council would be known as a champion of Irish products, sold both domestically and abroad.

He became widely known for his launch of the "Guaranteed Irish" and "Buy Irish" marketing and advertising campaigns of the 1970s and 1980s, which were aimed at Irish consumers.^[1] Murray's "Buy Irish" was based on his own beliefs that quality was more important in Irish products than merely purchasing an item because it was made in Ireland.^[2] He also believed that the Buy Irish campaign, as it came to be called, should focus on the Irish consumer market.^[2] Murray also felt that low quality products should not be supported by the "Buy Irish" campaign.^[2] Murray felt that

Murray simultaneously appointed the chairman of the Bord Iascaigh Mhara in 1981 while still heading the Irish Goods Council.^[2] He stayed on as chairman of Bord Iascaigh Mhara for two terms.^[2]

He next became the chairman of An Post in 1990 following his departure from the Irish Goods Council and was credited with returning the Irish postal system to profitability during his tenure.^[2] Murray also joined the Gray-Murray consulting firm, which is now known as Indecon.^[2]

Later life

Vivian Murray fully retired from the business world during the middle of the 1990s.

Vivian Murray died in Dublin on 6 March 2008, at the age of 76 after a long illness.^[1] Murray was survived by his wife, Nancy (née Clear), and six children – daughters Mary, Anne, Bernie and Madeleine and sons, Dermot and John.^[1]

References