Nenagh’s John makes new link

A Nenagh native who moved to Belfast 70 years ago still manages to keep in touch with the town he grew up in - most lately, through a link with rugby.

John Fitzpatrick, who spent the early part of his life growing up in William Street, moved to Belfast at the age of 18.  John, who was born in 1936, recently had the opportunity to meet with members of a rugby team in the UK who regularly visit Nenagh to play matches against Nenagh Ormond.

He sent us on the attached photograph of himself with some members of the Neath team in Wales who are well familiar with Nenagh.

That’s because they have a special link with Nenagh Ormond, visiting Nenagh on and off for over 20 years to play challenge matches against the Ormonds.

Readers might wonder how John managed to get himself in a photograph with players from Neath.

Well, it turns out that his granddaughter, Keara Salter, recently married one of the Neath players, Aled Jones.

Knowing the close links between Neath and his home club back in Nenagh, John just couldn’t miss the opportunity of having his picture taken with the players from the Welsh club.

So now the close bonds that Neath has with Nenagh Ormond have been further strengthened by the fact that one of players, Aled Jones, has married the granddaughter of a Nenagh native who left the town seven decades ago.

Though gone from Nenagh for such a long time, John still has relations and firm links with his native town.

He is a brother of the late Eamon Fitzpatrick of Knockanpierce and he has nieces and nephews and other relations living locally.