Former Offaly businessman's passing widely mourned

MUCH sadness was occasioned on the death of Tullamore man Tom (Moss) O'Brien on January 31 last.

Tom was born on February 18, 1931 at Tinnycross, Tullamore and was from a large family of farming stock.

Tom worked first with Jack Adams Printing Works, and later with the North Offaly Co-Op in Tullamore.

His next venture, along with his brother Joe O'Brien and brother-in-law Pat Mollen, was establishing the builders suppliers business of O’Brien & Mollen in about 1973.

In the late 1980s the firm partnered with Brooks, Dublin to become Brooks O'Brien Mollen, which was on the now Brooks site at Church Road in Tullamore.

Tom was well known to anyone involved in building over the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

Tom loved his life in business in Tullamore and especially enjoyed the public and social side, even though he was quite a private man, who didn’t like too much fuss.

He lived in Arden Heights for nearly 25 years. It was a new estate with young families and there was a caring and supportive community.

When he had an aneurysm over 25 years ago, he said then that if he had passed, he considered himself to have had a great life with no regrets.

At that time, with his wife Anne’s support, his direction in life changed to another new venture living in the countryside in Durrow where his wife Anne runs Gormagh B&B.

He enjoyed entertaining his family Winifred and Hilary and their husbands David, and Darren, who sadly passed away from a brain tumour four years ago.

Tom loved his visits to and from New Zealand to his two Kiwi grandsons Conn and Finn who he got great fun from.

He also loved the company of his various pets over the years and his daily walks on the canal in Cappincur.