Cyril Murphy was born in Wexford in 1962, was educated by the Jesuits at Clongowes Wood College SJ and studied Music and English at University College Dublin obtaining an Honours Degree.

Whilst at university he studied piano with the renowned Irish concert pianist John O Conor at The Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin and undertook organ studies with Prof. Gerard Gillen. During his student years he had many formative choral experiences singing with the UCD Chamber Choir and the Irish Youth Choir.

As a composer Cyril has written extensively for liturgical use, musical theatre and the popular music genre.

He collaborated with international best selling author Eoin Colfer of Artemis Fowl fame and composer Liam Bates to write the new musical The Lords of Love which premiered at the National Opera House in November 2010. The same team produced a recording with the RTE Concert Orchestra of their first musical BALOR – a fantasy musical based on the Celtic legend of the pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne.

In the field of liturgical compositions, Cyril was commissioned by the ALIVE -O series for National Primary Schools to write music for this programme. Over a career spanning 32 years with choirs and singers in church he has composed many psalm settings and anthems for use within the liturgy. As Director of Liturgy at Clongowes Wood College, he is responsible for the creation of liturgies with a contemporary focus on youth through the extensive use of contemporary liturgical music and digital media.

Cyril has worked with several singer/songwriters and lyricists in composing songs for recording artists and folk singers.