Published Saturday July 25th, 2009 at 6:04pm
A grandfather is desperate to find his biological mother who gave him away without official approval.
Eddie Farrell (47) said he was a baby when she gave him to a couple living in Dublin.
He said he cannot trace the woman because he was not legally adopted, which meant records were not available.
"I was shocked to find out after my parents died. I never knew," hesaid. "Now I just want to meet the woman who is my mother. And I wouldlove if she told me who my father is."
He said he had hoped that listeners to RTE's Liveline would help himsolve the mystery after a brief appearance on the show. But he learnednothing conclusive.
Now the father-of-three is hoping that Herald readers will provide the key to his past.
He has two birth certificates showing he was born in Dublin onFebruary 4, 1962. One states he was born in St Kevin's Hospital and theother St James' Hospital. His mother's first name is listed asKathleen. A surname is also listed but it not published here for legalreasons. There is no father listed.
Oddly, a certificate of Catholic Baptism, which took place one weekafter the birth, lists Kathleen as the godmother and the parents asEdward Farrell and Angela Boylan, who raised him with loving care untilhe was an adult.
"All I have are stories which I am not sure about and which I heard after my parents died," he said.
Pillow
"I heard that Kathleen was a young girl who already had a littlegirl, a toddler, and that she must have agreed at some stage before Iwas born to give me to my parents," he said.
He said he heard that Kathleen at first gave two names when in hospital: Angela Farrell and her own surname.
Eddie, who has lived in England since the age of four, even heard aclaim that Angela, a hospital cleaner, had worn a pillow under her coatto pretend that she was pregnant as she waited for him to be born toKathleen.
However, by the time it came for the birth to be registered, his biological mother's true name was listed.
Eddie spent the first few years of his life with his new parentsliving at their Corporation flat at Sean Treacy House in the SherriffStreet area of the inner city. The family then moved to Manchester andlater to Salford.
Eddie had remained close to his parents, particularly Angela, who was unable to have children of her own.
"When she died at 45 of cancer when I was a young man, it rippedsomething out of my soul," he said. Edward Farrell died aged 70, fiveyears ago.
"It was only after his death, when I went to get a birth cert to geta passport for the the first time that I learned they were not my birthparents. I was shocked," said Eddie.
Eddie has failed in his attempts to get documents on his biological mother.
He said: "I just want to meet her now. She must be aged in her late60s. I could not condemn her. She could not have given me to betterpeople."
Anyone who can help Eddie should call 0044 77806 98341 or email eddie_fish1@hotmail.co.uk