Our Story

My name is Dr Oladapo Odumeru MBE. I am the founder of Conor Mac Foundation as a tribute to my brother and friend Conor John Mckenna, who passed away on the 6th of April 2023.

I first met Conor in 1984 on the rugby pitch of Clongowes Wood College Co Kildare Ireland. All I remember of the training exercise was Conor tackling me so hard I thought my leg was broken. After that fateful day, I will bump into Conor and have a good banter about the “famous tackle” and many other things teenagers talk about. As fate will have it we ended up at the same University of Galway and many years of great friendship started.

My parents lived in Nigeria and had sent me to study in Ireland for which I am forever grateful. A few years into my education the economy of Nigeria took a downturn. This meant that I could not complete my education in Galway. I mentioned this to Conor not expecting anything, but to my surprise, he had spoken to his parents in relation to my situation and they stepped in to ensure I continued my education. But not only did they step in, they became my family throughout my stay in Ireland and gave me the foundation and loving environment I needed to achieve my dreams.

After graduating, Conor travelled to Italy and Australia where he lived until he passed away. Conor was my destiny helper. In June 2023, I received the University of Galway Alumni Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. This would not have happened without Conor’s intervention in 1986.

Few weeks after hearing the news of Conor’s death, I received a request from a mother to pay her daughter's University fee in Nigeria. At first, I ignored the message thinking it was a scam. But I could not ignore the cry of a mother and as strange as it may sound, I felt my friend was telling me we helped you with your university fee, you should do the same. So, I took on the case and after due diligence research to ensure the case was genuine, I paid the university fee on the 4th May 2023 one day after my brother Conor was laid to rest. It then occurred to me that the legacy Conor left in my life should live on through this foundation.