Published: Wednesday, 18th June, 2008 12:00
Daughter and dad reunited after 30 years
By Jamie MacDonald
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Maureen has been reunited with her dad Michael.
Pic by: David Robertson
A CLACKMANNAN father claims that winning the lottery could not make him any happier since he has been reunited with his long lost daughter.
It may have been nearly 30 years since they last met but for Michael Humphries and his daughter Maureen the passage of time has not changed the way a dad and daughter feel about each other.
Until a few weeks ago Michael hadn’t seen Maureen since she was around five years old in Falkirk.
When she was a child, Michael saw Maureen regularly but shortly after he moved to Wales, Maureen and her mother moved to Ireland and they lost touch completely.
Michael (61) said, “Over the years I went up her old street in Falkirk many times asking people if they knew where she had gone but no one seemed to know.”
Maureen (35) has spent the past 18 years trying to find her dad – but following his move to Wales further changes of address made him almost impossible to track down.
Maureen said, “I tried everything I could think of – the electoral roll, birth certificates, internet sites, I even contacted ‘Surprise Surprise’ hoping that Cilla Black could find him.”
It wasn’t until Maureen and some friends were in Falkirk for a holiday that she spotted a Michael Humphries from Clackmannan in the phone book.
Maureen said, “When we were outside I didn’t think I could go through with it and knock on the door.
“I was apprehensive as I didn’t know how it would go, but I’m over the moon now.”
Seeing Maureen holding an old photo of them was all it took for Michael to realise who the person standing on his doorstep was.
He said, “At the time I was surprised but happy – now I’m so delighted words can’t really cover it.
“A bond started to grow very quickly and it is a better feeling than winning the lottery.”
In the weeks since their first meeting Maureen has been back in Clackmannan as often as she can to meet her four brothers and three sisters. Michael has also had new relatives to meet in grandsons Andrew (17), Aaron (14) and Mark (10).
And Maureen is planning on moving to the area permanently from their current home in Londonderry.
She said, “I spent so long trying to find my dad and I’m delighted I finally have.”
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