Lohan, Tom
December 21, 2005
Tom Lohan
The village of Glinsk on the Galway-Roscommon border came to a silent standstill. The community, both young and old, gathered to bid a fond farewell to a young man who was loved and respected by all who had been privileged to have numbered him as one of their friends.
Tom Lohan will be sadly missed by his wife, Denise, his sons Derek and Peter, his sisters, Mrs Lily Murphy and Mrs Mary Giblin, his nephews and nieces, extended family, neighbours and a wide circle of friends. The vast numbers who attended the removal from his home at Corspark, Glinsk and his funeral on Sunday, December 11th from Glinsk community has lost one who was a stalwart within his area.
As the crowd assembled to mourn the loss of Tom and to celebrate his life - all had their own image of the man: different people would hold different memories which they would carry with them through their lives. Depending on where they came from they would remember Tom as a loving devoted father, a loyal, faithful husband, a brother who valued family ties, a quietly spoken visitor, a passionate footballer, a farmer who like most farmers in the area was prepared to work seven days a week, a leader within Glinsk Community Council where his guiding hand had been a feature for many years.
Yet others will remember the life-long pioneer who proved he did not need any artificial stimulant to help him enjoy the company of others to the full, or the Christian whose beliefs were strong and laid on the foundations of generations that had gone before him. Others will remember Tom as a patient who showed immense courage and never complained when he found out that fate had dealt him a bad hand ... He never asked: "Why me?''... Indeed his attitude appeared to be ''Why not me?''
Most of all, many will remember Tom as a friend and Tom's friendship was special. To have had Tom as a friend - was to know the true value and meaning of friendship. A true friend is one who does not set out to gain an advantage from a friendship. A true friend is always ... more willing to give ... than to receive. Tom did not seek to engineer friendship for any advantage or benefit.
To have had Tom as a friend meant that you were close to somebody who had all the essential qualities of trust, loyalty and discretion. Tom was somebody in whom you could confide without any fear that your confidence would ever be betrayed.
Somebody once said that the single most important piece of advice they could give to anybody was ... 'Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes ... Hold your head up high, Look it squarely in the eye an say 'I will be bigger than you - you cannot defeat me". Those who knew Tom realised that he lived his life very much by this piece of advice, especially through the years of his sickness. Despite repeated stints in hospital and repeated rounds of treatment he never let himself become negative about his illness but kept a positive outlook right up to the end.
He never allowed himself to become immersed in his own sickness. Indeed it was his hallmark, during hospital visits, that he would continually reach out to other patients and take a great interest in their illnesses and pain. In fact, in many cases, he gave courage to others by quietly explaining to them the way a particular treatment worked, how it affected him, the side-effects it had and most of all, he would encourage then by letting them see that he had come through it and that there was light at the end of the tunnel.
Tom's quiet demeanour often seemed to suggest that here was a man who did not hold strong views or beliefs. If we thought this - we would have been sorely mistaken. Tom was a man of strong views and beliefs - but he never sought to wear these views and beliefs on his sleeve - or to impose these views and beliefs onto others. Tom's patience and coolness is worth remembering and worth taking note of. When things go wrong, there are few who could approach problems with such a cool head. When many of us would probably loose our patience, Tom did not lose the cool - but rather would quietly set about putting things right ... And indeed he could teach us that the patient, quiet way of approaching a problem usually made far more sense - in the end.
If there was one place where Tom's passion was fully expressed - it was on the football field. Tom first lined out for Glinsk when he played Minor in 1967. Tom' s life may have been relatively short but he packed in almost forty years of service at the GAA in Glinsk. It is true to say that when Tom played Gaelic football, the mask of coolness slipped and his great love of sport and the GAA allowed him to give full expression to his passion as he played with all his heart for his team and for the game. Tom progressed to Under-21 and was a member of the historic county final winning team of 1971. He continued to play on and, in fact, when Glinsk won their first Football title in County Galway in 1985, Tom was part of that panel.
When Tom finally hung up the football boots he turned to the younger generation and as manager of a number of under-age teams he did his utmost to motivate a new generation to become involved in the sport that he loved. It is, I think fitting, that Tom's last engagement with Glinsk GAA was with the present U-16 team whom he steered to success in winning the Galway League Shield just this year.
Let us hope that Tom's example on the sportfield will inspire our youth and lead them to commit themselves wholeheartedly to the sport that Tom loved.
It was when his playing days on the football were winding down that Tom began to take an active part in life of Glinsk Community Council. He became chairman, in late 1986, when the Community Council was at one of the busiest times in its history. To those who worked closely with him through his years as chairman he showed a very deep sense of commitment to doing what was best for the community. He never wavered from this commitment because with Tom there were no hidden agendas. Many hours were spent quietly working - mostly behind the scenes - to do what was best for the community.
During his period in the chair, Glinsk Community Centre was officially opened, the first Glinsk Song Contest was successfully launched and Tom was there as chairman to greet the very first O'Sullivan Beare march in 1987. He was there also in that year when Glinsk Community Council won its first ever County Award ... The County Enterprise Award Board. When Tom saw progress within the community it gave him a sense of pride and a feeling of satisfaction and he never lost that commitment to the community.
In the midst of their grief there was one message that. the family wish to extend to those around them. It is a message of thanks to all of the neighbours, relatives and friends who have been a tower of strength and consolation over the years and especially in the final week of Tom's life. The family will always remember, always appreciate and always value the help and support that has come from the neighbours around them. In their darkest hour, one of the things that has eased their lot was that constant help that came from so many in so many ways. The family thank all who supported them very sincerely and indeed it proved once again that Glinsk is special.
The family also thank those who visited the family home or visited the hospital, those who have sent cards, phone calls and good wishes. They thank, in a very special way, all those who helped with the funeral arrangements and those who have taken part in the liturgy. All those who attended the removal and funeral and those who carried the remains of Tom to his final resting place and those who took part in the guards of honour. A special word of thanks also to Fr Joyce for his kindness and for the celebration of the Funeral Mass.
When all is said and done - nothing was more important to Tom than his family.
This was his greatest devotion in life - this was his greatest pride. Family solidarity and the bonds of extended family were always Tom's prime concern.
to Denise, to Derek and Peter:
Please remember:
"God may tarnish,
Good health may vanish,
But the treasure of love you have received from Tom,
Will survive and may that by your consolation"- And may God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Courtesy of Roscommon Herald
21 December 2005
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