Tribute to of former Leitrim Superintendent Tom Hughes

The death has occurred of the former Garda Superintendent, Tom Hughes.
Tom, of Shannon Lodge, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim and formerly Mountbellew, Co Galway. passed away peacefully on Saturday last, December 11, surrounded by his loving family in Lough Erril Nursing Home, Mohill.
Tom was an extremely popular member of the local community who served as Superintendent from 1983 up until his retirement on age grounds on May 21, 1996.

In a wide-ranging and in-depth interview with the Leitrim Observer prior to his retirement in 1996, Tom told the paper that he was not sad to be going.“I have no regrets about retiring,” he said at the time. “I look forward to it. I feel that I have given it my best shot. It is a job that inevitably means you have to do unpalatable things, but I never consciously did a wrong to anybody. I always strove to do my best.”
Tom joined the force at the age of 21. The eldest of 14 children, his father was a carpenter and Tom himself trained as a joiner before he joined the Gardai.
“Looking back, I don't regret that decision for one minute,” Tom said.

He trained in the Phoenix Park as distinct from the present day training centre at Templemore. He spent six months in training and was then sent to his first station in Belmullet. In total, he spent 15 years in the Mayo division between Belmullet, Knock, Claremorris, Castlebar, Ballyvary and Ballina. His latter two years in Mayo were as a Sergeant.
It was also in Mayo, in Belmullet, to be exact, that he met and married his wife, Breege. They later had one daughter Nicola.
In 1973, Tom was promoted to Inspector and went to Ballyconnell where he was engaged in border duty.

“This was a very stressful and traumatic period. There was a lot of cross-border attacks in the wake of the Clones and Belturbet bombings, but looking back at my time in Cavan and Monaghan I enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.
In was in August of 1974 that Tom arrived in Carrick-on-Shannon as an Inspector. He was later, in 1983, promoted to Superintendent after spending some time in Clifden and then returning to Carrick-on-Shannon as a Superintendent.
He recalled, “When I came to Carrick, the Garda station was based on the site of the new bypass beside Damien Coffey's. It was demolished in 1984.”
Looking back on his early years, he commented, “The job has certainly improved for the better since I joined. There are better conditions of employment, and the advent of overtime payments and rostering has all helped. Communications and transport have improved out of all recognition.”
However, changes for the better were also matched with changes for the worse.
“When I joined there was no drug culture and no gang-land warfare. There was none of these despicable attacks on rural elderly people. That was unheard of. These people had a revered place in society. You continually wonder where has society gone wrong,” he remarked.

One of the great advances in the development of the Gardai, Tom said, was the introduction of women into the force. “One of the first intakes was in 1959. There were a lot of reservations at the time. I think it was one of the greatest advances. Female members have played a very important part in the organisation and have contributed immensely to the overall well being of the force.”
Tom was also well known in the area for running table quizzes with the late Michael Mason and Michael O'Brien, which greatly aided many charities locally.

Tom’s funeral mass took place yesterday, Tuesday, in St Mary's Church, Carrick-on- Shannon followed by burial in St Mary's Cemetery. To his sorrowing wife Breege, daughter Nicola and his family and many friends we extend our deepest sympathy.

May Tom Rest In Peace.