O’Driscoll’s goodbye to close friend
O’Driscoll pulled out of the Ireland squad ahead of their clash with the Barbarians in Gloucester on Tuesday after he got word that his friend, Barry Twomey, had died unexpectedly.
Mr Twomey’s body was found in an isolated area of north Co Wicklow earlier that day. Gardaí ruled out foul play.
His death shocked a number of his friends and especially his fiance, Barbara Matthews, who works for Google.
The couple started dating shortly after she graduated from UCD in 2003 with a degree in sociology and social policy.
Mr Twomey, aged 29, had proposed to Ms Matthews last March and O’Driscoll attended a special celebration with the couple at the Krystle nightclub to mark their engagement.
The businessman, who was in his late 20s and from Clontarf in Dublin, had been a close friend of O’Driscoll’s for years and was an accomplished rugby player himself.
Three years ago, Mr Twomey set up a social magazine called ‘Bash’ with Irish rugby winger Shane Horgan. It was aimed at 18 to 29-year-olds and a large section of the free magazine featured photographs of people out partying in the Dublin. It has since ceased publication.
A large crowd gathered at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Foxrock for Mr Twomey’s requiem mass yesterday.
They included Brian O’Driscoll’s girlfriend, the actress Amy Huberman, and the model Roberta Rowat.
Mr Twomey was buried at Deansgrange Cemetery.
