The late Tom Hughes Tom Hughes, Claremount, Claremorris, who passed away, was among the most senior residents of Claremorris parish. He spent over 50 years of his working life as an employee of Claremorris Bacon Factory and he was a man who commanded great respect and regard throughout the community. He was predeceased by his wife Nora (nee Cullinane) in 1996 and by his daughter Marion Prendergast in 2005. Tom was born in Garrynaba in July, 1910, and the family moved to Cloonboy ten years later. He lived there until 1936, the year that Mayo won their first All- Ireland senior title. In 1941, he came to reside in Claremount which was to be his home for the next 65 years. In his young years, he was a good handballer and almost every Sunday would find Tom and the lads down at the alley near Reaney's Mill in Castlegar. It was there that men like the late Perry Egan made a name for themselves as some of the best handballers of their era. Pitch and toss was another favourite pastime of that era and Tom often reminisced about such times in the town of Claremorris in his young years. The game of poker was another pastime that he took a special interest in and he was a regular at card games in the Foresters Hall and the Old Town hall in days gone by. For many years, the family operated a shop beside the Racecourse that was always known locally as the 'Co-op.' It was Nora who looked after the shop and it was a regular meeting place for neighbours and friends and provided a good service for the people of the locality as well as those attending the various events at the Racecourse. The shop closed towards the end of the 1980s. Blessed with a wonderful memory, Tom loved to meet friends and chat about old times. He could enliven any gathering with his recall of people and events from back the years and he had a fascinating knowledge of Claremorris and its surrounds. Tom enjoyed great health and well- being up to around a year ago. He also enjoyed the great gift of good neighbours who called by to see him everyday and who were such a part of his daily life. He spent the last months in the kind care of the management and staff of the D'Alton Community Nursing Home where he remained in fine spirits until the closing days. Here, he enjoyed numerous trips down memory lane with his good friend Martin Connaughton with whom he worked for many years in the Bacon Factory. For Tom, these were cherished moments as the light dimmed on his long life. Tom Hughes was truly one of the grand old stock of the parish and he will be remembered with much fondness by his family and close friends. Removal took place from Our Lady's Funeral Home (Gilligan's) to Claremorris Church with burial in St Colman's Cemetery following Requiem Mass celebrated by Fr Peter Gannon. Tom is survived by his sons Seamus (Hollymount), Paddy (London) and Eamon (Liverpool), daughter Evelyn (New York), daughters-in-law Kathleen and Dorothy, grandchildren, great- grandchildren, relatives, neighbours and friends. Courtesy of the Mayo News 12th June 2007 Tweet

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