Old teachers, Michael O'Brien would claim, were in many way like old soldiers. They never died, they just faded away. Sadly, he faded away at his home "Dunbrody," Cherrygarth, Portlaoise, laast Saturday, November 22. He death was unexpected. He was 79. He was a legend to generations of St Mary's CBS secondar school students who held him in high regard. Indeed, he won their affection. His innate kindliness always shone through when he was dealing with puils and he never misused his position of authority to humiliate them. Michael said on one occasion: "The studentsreally educated me. I was at one with them all in spirit, a pupil, still a pupil, and hopefully a pupil for the time that remains to me." He began teaching in St Mary's in the early 1950's. His contribution to Portlaoise was immense. He was an educationalist, a community and a political activist, a historian and a hurling enthusiast. As a teacher, Michael' first love was latin, or, as he termed it, the language of Horace and Virgil. He regarded it as a great fondation for other languages and he strongly criticised is exclusion fromt he curriculum. Irish, too, he keenly promoted. He looked back with pleasure to the days when he trained school hurling teams. In 1963, St Mary's won Leinster Junior hurling honours. Of course,he avidly followed the hurling fortunes of his native Co Wexford. Michael remembered when St Mary's secondary school had only 120 students and five teachers. He remembered the arrival of the first woman teacher. He saw the departure of the first Christian Brothers and the appointment of the first lay principal. Through the years, his attachment to the school was palpable. The shirt he wore on his final jersey was coloured blue, symbolizing his politics. He was a Fine Gaeler, and he made no apologies for that. In 1969, Michawel was a founder member of the Portlaoise Credit Union and he served continuously on its board until last year. He chaired it very successfully for a number of terms. Of local history, his knowledge was more extensive than most natives and he was Presidet of Laois Heritage Society. Though the loss of Gertie, his beloved wife, four and a half years ago hot him hard, he always seemed to look on the bright side of life. He had a smile and a word for everyone, regardless of social status. The word most used to describe him was "gentleman." At the remval of his remains from his residence to SS Peter and Paul's Church on Sunday evening, Fine Gael formed a guard of honour. At James Fintan Lalor Avenue, the cortage paused at the Credit Union office, where Michael had given so much of his time voluntary. Following Requiem Mass at 2pm on Monday, the funeral took place to SS Peter and Paul's cemetery in Prtlaoise. Mourning Michael are his children David, Michael and Louisa, brothers Fr John and Pat, daughter-in-law Patricia, son-in-law Jarlath, grandchildren, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, relatives, friends ad former students. Leinster Express, 26/11/08 Tweet

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