G'day Kerry, I don't know whether this is about to make your day, but before I croak (I'm 82, and plan to live till I'm 128, twice Paul McCartney's ("Now I'm) 64"), I really must tell you that Michael O'Meara, who donated the marble altar in St Patrick's Kogarah - with my (in fact my Uncle Frank's) name on it ! - is my paternal grandfather. Among his nine children were Jim, my Dad, who had seven children. I am the youngest of four boys (my brothers are all dead; of my three sisters, two are still alive). Summarizing my story would be difficult, but let's for the nonce just say that I used to be a Franciscan priest (concelebrated my First Mass with my two priest-brothers on the altar in question), studied for a doctorate in Theology in Paris, married a French woman, fathered three children in the U.S. during our ten years there; I was a lay diocesan Director of Religious Education and Professor of Religious Pedagogy in an American University. I have become an atheist, created a blog (blindfaithblindfolly.wordpress.com), have retired from an international career, have lived in France for over forty years, and am presently enjoying life On Zeee Beeeh in my secondary residence in Bidart, near Biarritz. I know little about "Jimma", your great-grandfather, except that he and his brother went back to Ireland to kill the Brits around 1920, were put under house arrest for six months, never killed a soul, and then went back to Kogarah, never to return to Toomevara. Would love to hear from you. You can check out my mug-shot in the blog. I know : I look 27. Like you, I have vivid memories of Toomevara Street, home of your ancestor and mine. I would be delighted to RootChat with you.
