Cahir Mart is to host the wake of one of its best-loved characters, Murty (Martin) Cashman, on Saturday.

The popular drover spent much of his life at the mart and was held in the highest esteem by both staff and farmers.

“Murty only worked here officially in recent years but they say he was in Cahir Mart for more than 50 years,” mart manager Jonathan O'Sullivan told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“He would be droving or culling out cattle that farmers bought, helping load them at the back of the mart.”

This place was like a second home for him

“I’m the manager here eight years and I never saw him to miss a Wednesday sale. But he was here every day. He would call into the office and be here late at night.”

“He would never go home while there was something going on at the mart. He was fierce interested. This place was like a second home for him.”

Different

O'Sullivan is expecting a big crowd to attend the wake in the mart.

“It’s very different, but then he was a different kind of man, a real character,” said the mart manager.

“He knew everyone, he was very sharp, and everyone knew him. We had a lot of calls today from farmers, local dealers and dealers up the country. Everyone was very fond of him. Murty really was Cahir Mart,” he added.

Murty, from Hogan Square in the town, will lie in repose in Cahir Mart from 4pm to 7pm on Saturday 18 January.

The funeral mass will take place at 11.30am in St Mary's Church, Cahir on Sunday morning, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Donations can be made to the Irish Cancer Society.