Friend of Greece, Eddy O’Hara has passed away at the age of 78. The former Labour MP for Knowsley South was a lifelong advocate in support of the reunification of the Parthenon marbles to Greece.
In the 1950’s O’Hara was deployed to Cyprus while doing national service with the British Army. While there he was personally identified as a military target by EOKA, as he worked out by running every day along the same route, making him an easy target. Luckily, and ironically perhaps, the booby-trap set for him was discovered and he lived to become one of the most passionate supporters for the reunification of the Parthenon marbles.
O’Hara truly appreciated Greece and the Greek Culture. He spoke the language fluently and after graduating from University in 1962 he began a teaching career in Latin and Greek at the Perse school, Cambridge, and then at Birkenhead school.
Following the death of the famous Greek actress Melina Mercouri in 1994, O’Hara felt prompted to carry the torch of the actress who was a reverent supporter of returning the Parthenon marbles to Greece. O’Hara started a motion in the House of Commons driving forward the case for reunification of what was referred to at the time as the Elgin marbles.
This attempt of behalf of O’Hara for the people of Greece would be the first in nine attempts during his two decades as an MP. He also was an organizer of countless meetings in the UK and Greece regarding the subject. In 2005 he became the chairman of the Marbles Reunited campaign and in 2010 became the chairman of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.
O’Hara described himself as “an unreconstructed classicist” and commented on the last Labour government’s failure to take action regarding the reunification of the marbles saying, “Tony Blair had many strengths and many interests, but I don’t think the marbles was one of them.”
Five years ago O’Hara was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis which made some of his normal activities more difficult and limited. However, he didn’t let his illness stand in the way with his beloved Greece, as he would travel there whenever possible.
He is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren.
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