Hughes, Colm
January 31, 2003
The late Colm Hughes
The untimely death of Mr Colm Hughes of Shantally, Middletown caused widespread shock and sorrow in the Middletown and North Monaghan areas.
Although he hadn't been altogether well in recent times, his sudden passing was totally unexpected.
Colm was the eldest son of Kathleen and the late Frank Hughes and he would have celebrated his 56th birthday on January 7th.
He lived all his life in the family home at Shantally and was noted for his love for and involvement in the GAA. He was a star corner forward on the powerful Middletown teams of the late 60's and for most of the 70's. He played a key role in the teams which won the 1974 Junior Championship and the 1976 team which won the Intermediate Championship.
Middletown Gaels and supporters of that time forever remember the goal Colm scored in the 1976 final at a crucial time which ultimately swung the game in Middletown's favour.
Colm also played a major part in the years leading up to this when he had the distinction of playing in all four divisions of the All County League when Middletown came from Division 4 to Division 1 in a space of four years and are recorded as the first team in the ACL to have achieved this feat.
In his early years, Colm played his juvenile and minor football with neighbouring County Monaghan club Tyholland as there was no club in Middletown at that time. When Middletown started up again in 1966 he became an important part of the team until he hung up his boots at the end of the 1977 season.
His late father Frank Hughes was a very successful racing cyclist in the 1930's and 1940's and won many prestigious races.
Colm was educated at Middletown Boys School and on leaving school took up employment on the Middletown Convent Farm. Later he took up employment as a lorry driver with George Hanthorne of Coolkil, collecting creamery cans for Tassagh Creamery around local farms. With the advent of the milking parlour on dairy farms the milk collection service ceased to exist and so Colm moved on to work again as a lorry driver for Aiden Hughes's Concrete Works, a job which he held until illness forced his retirement two years ago. Colm also worked on the family farm.
As well as winning his first championship medal in 1974, Colm also win the heart of Madeline O'Neill, of Chapel Street, Keady and the couple married that year and had three children, Paul,Maurice and Ashling, all of whom will miss him greatly as indeed will his mother, Kathleen, sisters Bertha and Ann and brother Paschal.
He will also be sadly missed by his many neighbours and friends and particularly by those who enjoyed a good argument about football.
Colm's funeral took place to St John's Church, Middletown, Mass which was celebrated by Fr Richard Naughton, Armagh administrator. Burial followed in the adjoining cemetery. Old team mates from the 1970's era formed a guard of honour and also carried the coffin for some distance along the road from him home.
Courtesy of the Armagh Observer
January 2003
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