My Grandfather Florence O'Driscoll MP, Engineer and Author. b.1858 Mountmellick, Son Of William J. O'Driscoll of Sundays Wells, Cork and his wife Alice nee Blakeney, of Hollywell, Roscommon. They Emmigrated to Brisbane, Queensland Australia in the early 1860's. I know Alice died in 1876, several years later son Florence returned to Ireland, then to England then Argentina, goldmining and writing for The Times as special correspodent to South America for a dozen or so years, returning to England 1913 passing away in London 1939.

My Uncle was Sqaudron Leader Finan O'Driscoll was killed in action by the Japanese bombing of Singapore at Kuala Lumpar on 21 Jan 1942.

The Times, 7 January 1939

MR. F. O'DRISCOLL

ENGINEER AND JOURNALIST

Mr. F. O'Driscoll, Assoc. M.Inst.C.E., chartered civil engineer, died yesterday after a short illness. From 1910 to 1913 he was Chief Correspondent of The Times in South America.

Florence O'Driscoll, son of Mr. William O'Driscoll, was born at Mountmellick, Queen's County, Ireland. He was educated at Brisbane, Australia, and then served for 13 years in the Queensland Railway Department (Engineering Branch) on surveys and construction works. A visit to England followed and after that for seven years he acted as a Special Correspondent, making a tour of the world to write on engineering problems and undertakings. Subsequently he lived for the greater part of 20 years in South America, mining, oil-boring, and travelling and exploring in the Higher Andes. As stated above he was Chief Correspondent of The Times in South America from 1910 until 1913, when he relinquished that appointment to take up work in connexion with wireless telegraphy, with which he was concerned for 10 years.

Early in his career-1892 to 1895---he had been M.P. for South Monaghan and a Parliamentary Whip, and in 1913 he was' Royal Commissioner, World's Fair, Chicago. During the War, on behalf of the Admiralty, he transformed the Crystal Palace into a training depot for the Royal Naval Division. Among his publications were "Notes on the Treatment of Gold Ores," and many articles in the daily and scientific Press, both in this country and the United States. . .He married Eile Stribling, by whom he is survived with a son and two daughters.

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