AN IRISHMAN in his late 60s is appealing for help in finding a former classmate believed to be in London to make an upcoming school reunion complete.
Cormac Gordon, 68, studied at St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon in the 1960s.
He told The Irish Post that in October he and several others obtained all the names of the 66 students in their class from the school and began contacting everyone in the list with the intention of inviting them all to a reunion.
While some of the class has passed away, Gordon was successful in informing all but one of his living ex-classmates – whom he studied alongside between 1961-66 – to the event on June 4 at the Park Hotel, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo.
What we do know about Oliver (Ollie) O’Brien
Here's what we know about the one man they have not been able to track down: Oliver (Ollie) O’Brien, 68, came from Enniscrone, Co.Sligo.
He used to live and work as a carpenter in Dublin during the 1970s. He lived in the Rathmines area in the south side of the city, and played football for GAA club Portobello during that time.
It is not known where he currently lives, but Mr Gordon believes that he has been based in London for the last 25 years.
It is thought that Ollie lived in the Muswell Hill area in 1985/86 and worked around the Golder's Green.
As far as his classmates know, he never married.
He said that it would be “disappointing” if they could not make contact with Mr O’Brien ahead of the reunion.
“I remember him well, he was in the same class as me,” he said. “We’d be disappointed if we can’t contact him as we’ve managed to contact everybody else. Our goal was just to at least make contact with everyone, it’s understandable that not everyone can make it to the reunion.”
Around 40 of the former classmates – most of whom were from Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Galway - are due to attend the reunion in June.
Two members of the class are now living in Australia, four in the US, 12 in England and the rest across Ireland, while 11 have since passed away.
Mr O’Brien was a member of the senior Gaelic Football team at St Nathy’s College, later playing minor and U21 football for his county, Sligo.
