Ballymoe plans memorial to late Mickey Rooney

The passing over the weekend of veteran actor Mickey Rooney at the age of 93, brought back memories for many of his visit to Ballymoe in 2007, when celebrations were held there to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska, USA by one of the village’s most famous sons, Fr Edward J Flanagan.

'We plan to erect a modest memorial to Mickey, possibly a plaque on the wall of the community centre, in time for the centenary celebrations marking the foundation of Boys Town in 2017,' says local community activist John Martin Griffin.

'The world is all the poorer for his passing and we have good memories of the day he visited us in Ballymoe in 2007.

'He was an icon of the big screen, small in stature, a bit contrary, but what a talented actor,' he added.

Mickey’s links with Ballymoe were established via his breakthrough part in the Hollywood movie, Boys Town.

Read more in this week's paper or in our digital edition April 10, 2014.