Former Mayo Sgt who passed away recently fondly remembered

Matt Hogan, Doogara, Ballaghaderreen, who died peacefully at his home in December, was a native of Newbrook, Robeen. The former Garda Sergeant was in the national news back in 1976 in the aftermath of the death of his neighbour, Frank Stagg (34), after 62 days on hunger strike in Wakefield Prison, England, in 1976.

The 50th anniversary of the passing of Frank Stagg will be commemorated in five weeks time on February 12, 2026. Frank was educated in Newbrook NS and later attended Ballinrobe CBS. He later went to England and became a bus conductor in London and joined the Luton Cumann of Sinn Féin in 1972.

He was the middle child in a family of 13 and was a brother of Emmet Stagg, former Labour TD for Kildare. Matt (pictured) was a sergeant based in Ballaghaderreen at the time. Showing a natural western decency for a member of a neighbouring family and visiting the Stagg family home to express condolences, he incurred the wrath of the authorities in those troubling times in this country.

In an interview with Deirdre Jones for the Tulsk History Society 2021 magazine, Deirdre captured the essence of the man and the background to the event that catapulted him into the national limelight. “Martin was born into a big republican family near Hollymount in Co Mayo in 1934. His father was a commandant in the old IRA, and his great-grandfather was a member of the Young Ireland Movement. “He had always wanted to be a teacher but he could neither sing nor play a musical instrument, so after spending some time in England he returned to train as a guard in the Phoenix Park.

He was first stationed in Cork, and was a sergeant in Roscarberry, living in a brand-new barracks with his wife and young family, when he saw an advert in the Garda magazine offering to swap with a Cork man working in Tulsk. “Martin wanted to move closer to home and took this opportunity. He swapped heat, running water, and a telephone for a barracks that was rundown and basic, but settled in quickly and integrated easily. Here he was stationed as a Garda Sergeant from 1967-69 and had known my father's family.

“He served over 28 years with An Garda Siochana, not quite making the 30 years service of tradition. When Republican hunger-striker Frank Stagg died in 1976, his funeral had developed into an unedifying stand-off between the forces of the State and Republican activists in a tense time in Irish politics. “Martin, who had shared a desk in primary school with Stagg’s younger sister Maureen, attended his family home to sympathise. He was suspended for two-and-a-half years but fought his case in the highest Courts and was reinstated and, of course, relocated.

There were ‘no winners’ as he says. “He retired, bought some land, and established the first mushroom growing business west of the Shannon, which flourished for some time. He also ran for election on a pro-life ticket. He faced many challenges and hardships with courage and resilience, never losing his warmth, and sense of humour, or his sense of himself as a ‘western Irish man.’ It was a privilege to get to know him.” Matt was held in high regard around Ballaghaderreen where he later became a pioneer in the mushroom business west of the Shannon.

He had a great fondness for nature, gardening and vegetables and had a special fondness for his adopted area around Ballaghaderreen and neighbouring parishes.

Terence Casey from Monasteraden was among the numerous people paying tributes to the Mayo man: “I have known him since he was stationed in Ballaghaderreen and always admired his humanity and commonsense above everything else. He always treated people with understanding. We should all be proud of him.” Sean Flynn from Ballaghaderreen commented: “Matt was a gentleman and a powerful and kind man with principle that is very rare these days.”

Reposing was in the Kilgarriff Funeral Home, Ballaghaderreen, and interment was in Kilcolman Cemetery following Mass of the Resurrection in St Nathy’s Cathedral. Matt, who was predeceased by his son Joseph, his parents Ellen and Jack, brothers Mike and Johnny, and his sisters Mary, Kathleen and Evelyn, is survived by his wife Marion and their family, Martina, Rosanne, John, Georgina, David, Matthew, Josephine, Michael, Bernadine and Stephen, sons-in-law Austin, Brendan, John (H), John (K) and Michael, daughters-in-law Patricia, Maria, Ying and Fiona, his 28 grandchildren, his 3 great-grandchildren, Mary, Alice and Robyn, his sisters, nephews, nieces brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, relatives, neighbours and his many friends.