Northside chauffeur remembers charitable Jacko

A
NORTHSIDE man has told how he chauffeured King of Pop Michael Jackson around
Ireland just three years before his untimely death in 2009.

Ray
O’Hara (46) is originally from Artane but now lives in Moate, County Westmeath,
where he started working as a chauffeur for the tragic American entertainer
when he stayed at a local recording studio in 2006.

Grouse
Lodge is an old estate in a remote location near the village of Rosemount. It
was converted into a residential recording studio in 2002 and has been used by
a plethora of rock bands and singers including REM, the Manic Street Preachers
and Shirley Bassey.

Borrowed

Because
Jackson didn’t have his own driver or security entourage in Ireland, local taxi
driver Ray was asked to drive Jackson and his three children around in a
borrowed people carrier with blacked out windows.

According
to Mr O’Hara, Jackson fell in love with Ireland when he visited in the middle
of 2006 and insisted that the pop icon intended to establish a permanent base
here.

He
said he spent much of his time chauffeuring Jackson around to various
properties when the star was looking for a new home in Ireland during the six
months he spent here that year.

“I
brought Michael Jackson to view properties around the country, mainly in
Westmeath and around North Dublin,

? Mr O’Hara told Northside People

“Michael
came here to live. The man loved the place and the remoteness of Westmeath and
the fact that it was just an hour’s drive from Dublin.

“He
spent a lot of time just looking at properties around the place. If he was
looking at a property he would make a family picnic out of the day. He would
bring his kids along with him and Harry Crosbie [music promoter], who was a
friend of his, would maybe meet him as well.

?

Mr
O’Hara said that Jackson did not have a large entourage with him. He said that
the only people that he was driving around in the people carrier were Jackson,
his three young children Blanket, Prince Michael and Paris, as well as the
children’s nanny and their private school tutor.

Burden

He
explained that because the singer did not have any security with him he felt a
massive burden due to the fact that he was charged with looking after possibly
the most famous person in the world.

“Initially
I felt the enormity of who I was carrying,

? he admitted.

“There
was no security with him for the paparazzi. He didn’t have any entourage with
him at all. It was a heavy burden driving him around because there was no one
else to help me out.

?

Mr
O

‘Hara described Jackson as a soft spoken and charitable man who lived for his
own children and who showed kindness towards other kids.

“He
was very genuine,

? he stated.

“He didn’t spoil the kids rotten. They did their
schooling. On Saturday he would bring the kids to the cinema or KFC or a kids’
activity centre.

Crumlin

“The
man was lovely. At the time in 2006 there were a couple of Traveller children
who were injured in a car fire. He wanted to go to Crumlin Hospital to visit
them and do something for them.

“The
owner of the Grouse Lodge told him that he couldn’t just walk into the
hospital. But that was the nature of the guy and he really wanted to do
something for the children.

?

Mr
O’Hara said he was utterly shocked when he heard of Jackson’s tragic death in
2009.

“He
was a young man and he was very healthy,

? he added.

“He left here on Christmas
Eve 2006 and said he was coming back.

“He
had registered his business here as MJ Productions and I was totally convinced
I would see him again.

?