EAMON O’CUIV COMES HOME TO BRUREE

On Friday evening last Eamon O’Cuiv, T.D., grandson of Eamon de Valera, paid a visit to the village in which his grandfather grew up. He was in the village to pay an informal visit to the de Valera Museum and Bruree Heritage Centre. The centre houses a unique collection of de Valera memorabilia. Mr. O’Cuiv was met by John Harrold, Secretary of the Bruree Rockhill Development Association, and Declan McCarthy, Brian O’ Donoghue, Joe O’Donog-hue and Patrick Fitzgerald who look after the centre and the de Valera house. The staff at the centre are funded under FAS and TUS. The TUS scheme was initiated by Eamon O’Cuiv while Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and is administered in the area by Ballyhoura Development. Present also to meet him were Liam Donegan and Mike Ryan, TUS supervisors. Mr. O’Cuiv spent almost two hours at the centre, viewing the exhibition and regaling everyone with stories of his illustrious grandfather and his memories of the man. He recalled de Valera, the family man and typical grandfather, as he had known him. He also spoke of visiting the President and Bean de Valera at Aras an Uachtaran and of the dignitaries he had met there. Before he left, Mr. O’Cuiv expressed the hope that both the de Valera House and the de Valera Museum and Bruree Heritage Centre would attract more visitors over the coming years as both attractions had much to offer. Mr. O’Cuiv posed for photographs and agreed to record an interview for BCR92.6FM which will be broadcast this coming Saturday between 11am and 1pm on Ballyhoura View.