Jeremiah Frank O'Connor (better known as Frank) was born to Jerry and Peg O'Connor in Bonane in 1946. He was the fourth oldest in a family of fourteen.

In his teenage years he played hurling and football with Bonane and won a place on the Bonane hurling team in 1962-1963 at early age of 16 which indicates that he was very at game. Noreen O'Connor of Cahir remembers his skills with the canán for he worked for Noreen and Tom at Cahir until he emigrated to the US when he was 19, like so many of his friends from the area did. Shortly after he arrived, he joined the US army where he continued to serve for a number of years. He really enjoyed his time there and related many stories of that time in uniform when he came home.

When he left the army he joined the carpenters union, working and living in New York for a number of years before leaving for California with his family where he lived for the rest of his life until he retired. Fishing was a great passion of Frank's and he spent lots of time doing just that. When he returned to Ireland for the last time May 2012 he had some good fishing days and some lucky ones, returning some days with a salmon or two. He also had started his woodwork and woodturning work and he was a professional at that sort of work.

Unfortunately, Frank was just starting to enjoy his retirement when he became ill with cancer. He was a big man but that did not make any difference for that terrible condition overcame him and he sadly passed away within a month of being diagnosed. His funeral was a testament to how well he was held and regarded in his community, his death was shockingly quick. We all miss him very much and are all the better for having to have know him. Thank you Frank.

(Text courtesy of Kerry's Eye 08/11/12). Tweet

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