Roscommon man behind setting up of Alcoholic Anonymous in Ireland

In 1943, after emigrating to the US, Conor F. (Flynn) from Roscommon, and a tavern owner, joined the AA in Philadelphia. This same year saw AA spread to Australia and an AA group was formed in Sydney. These two happenings led to the start of AA in Ireland and the formation of the first AA group of native Europeans, run by themselves, in Dublin.

Fr. Tom Dunlea, an Irish priest running a Boy’s Town Home in Sydney, had noticed, and been impressed with the gradual growth and success of the Sydney group and in 1946 when he came back to Ireland on holiday and, while in Dublin, was asked by the Dublin Evening Mail to give an interview on his Boys Home.

Not alone did Fr. Tom give an account of his project, but he also spoke at some length on the success of the Sydney group of AA.

Conor F. returned to Ireland on vacation the same year, three years sober and was determined to set up an AA group in Dublin before his return to America in January 1947. It was known as the First Dublin Group or The Country Shop Group, the name of the restaurant where they met, the first closed meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous and, one week later, on November 25th, the first open public meeting was held, also in Dublin.

From the outset Conor F. discovered that his task would be a difficult one. He ran into stone walls everywhere. He was even told at one stage that there were no alcoholics in Southern Ireland, but he would probably find them in Northern Ireland.

It was pointed out to him in no uncertain terms that if people had problems with the “demon drink” all they had to do was join the Pioneer Association -Ireland’s highly respected temperance society, and not waste time with some new and unusual idea taught by Americans.

He also gave an interview to the Evening Mail newspaper outlining AA’s endeavours to help people suffering from alcoholism “to overcome obsession which compels them to drink against their will.” The article also included a Box Number for people to write for information.

He received a few replies one from a man telling him he should contact his brother. He made contact with a few people but nothing concrete came of them. He was just about to give up and with time running out fate played its hand – as it did with Bill W. in Akron eleven years earlier – when once again, and in more or less similar circumstances, an understanding non-alcoholic woman played a part in the birth of AA, this time in Ireland.

He name was Eva Jennings and she was staying in the same hotel as Conor F. and over breakfast he confided in her his many problems in getting AA set up in Dublin.

She was very sympathetic towards his plight and arranged for him to meet a Dr. Norman Moore from Sr. Patrick’s Hospital in Dublin, whom she believed would be of some help.

Dr. Moore was quite enthusiastic and listened to what Conor had to say, as he had already read about AA in a Readers Digest article. He informed Conor that he had a patient in hospital “whom he feared he might be saddled with for life” and was willing to introduce them both stating, “If you can help this man, I’ll believe in AA 100 percent”.

The patient , Richard P, from County Down was sent under escort to Conor’s hotel and immediately they clicked and Richard was released from hospital.

Both men set about arranging the first closed meeting in Dublin, which took place two weeks later on Monday, November 18th, 1946. The following Saturday they placed a notice in the Evening Mail for the first public “open” meeting the next Monday. Neither man was ever to drink again. Richard died sober on December 19th, 1982, and Conor F. died in Philadelphia on July 8th, 1993, 50 years sober.

Meanwhile, Sackville O'C Millens attended his first AA meeting in Dublin on Monday, April 28th, 1947, and he never took another drink. He joined  the AA five months after Conor Flynn had started the first meeting in Ireland. He went on to become a mainstay of AA in Ireland and a highly influential figure.

• Alcoholics Anonymous Open Public Meeting takes place on Saturday, November 25th at 6 p.m. in Hannon’s Hotel, Roscommon. All welcome. Phone 089 210 9824 for further information.