NEIL Rooney’s final wish is to find his long-lost brother, whom he last saw 76 years ago.
Now 82 years old and in poor health after suffering two strokes, the Sligo native is eager to continue the search for his young sibling.
But with little memory and in- formation about him, Neil, who now lives in St Helens, is facing an uphill battle.
It is known that his brother, Brendan Paschal Rooney, was born on May 17, 1938, to their parents Patrick Rooney and Mary Kate Devins, who tragically passed away when the siblings were very young.
“I’ve been trying for a long time to find my brother,” Neil told The Irish Post. “One of the things I need to do before I die is to find him.
“Not a lot is known about him as we were sent to an orphanage when we were very young.”
The six Rooney children, three boys and three girls, endured heartbreak at a young age, when their mother died from breast cancer and their father had a heart attack soon after.
Born in Temple Street, Sligo, Neil, Brendan and third brother Patrick were sent to Nazareth House orphanage, while his sisters were sent to a women’s home.
Sadly, the trio of boys were separated, with two-year-old Brendan being housed in the infant section.
“It was a terrible orphanage, we were physically abused for no reason,” he explained. “We had no contact with Brendan in the orphanage, we weren’t together.”
What is even more tragic is the fact that Neil doesn’t have any memories of his youngest brother.
“The last thing I knew is that Brendan was living in Luton soon after he left the orphanage,” he added. “We were too young when we were separated, I don’t remember anything about him.”
Brendan lived with their sister Annie Gallagher in the late 1950s and early ’60s, and the last known address was 33 Trent Avenue, Luton.
It’s from this point that he is thought to have “disappeared”, according to Neil, with some suggestion that he could have emigrated to Australia.
All three of Neil’s sisters have since passed away, and it’s the fact that there aren’t many members of his family left that’s driving him to achieve his lifelong dream of reconnecting with his sibling.
In 1952, soon after leaving the orphanage, Neil and his brother Patrick, who was two years his junior, journeyed across the Irish Sea in search of a better life.
“Patrick and I moved to England, landing in St Helens,” he said. “But I moved around the country, living in Southampton for 23 years.”
Neil spent most of his years plying his trade in construction, during which time he married his wife in Warrington in 1953 and went on to have five children.
He first attempted to find Brendan over 30 years ago, contacting the authorities in Ireland hopeful that they would be able to help him.
More recently, Neil has been in touch with children’s charity Barnados, whose Origins and Tracing Service in Dublin has tried to locate Brendan.
There has not been any success thus far in the search, but Neil is adamant that he should find the missing piece to his family puzzle.
“Before we all disappear from the earth it would be good to find my brother.”
■ If you have any information on Brendan Paschal Rooney, contact The Irish Post by email on editor@http://http://irishpost.co.uk
