Family reunited

Hughes family reunited after 33 years

People and Places
Michael Commins

IT was a reunion to cherish. For the first time since 1975, all eleven members of the Hughes family from Curraghroe, Hollymount were together at the same time. And the seven brothers and four sisters, sons and daughters of the late John and Kitty, had plenty to reminisce and laugh about after all those years.
Seven of the family reside in Chicago with the other members in Meath, Sligo and Athlone, while Tommy, better known as Small Tom, keeps the home fires burning in Curraghroe. The marriage of Margaret’s daughter Catriona in Meath was the incentive that eventually brought them all together for the big reunion.
All of 33 years had flown by since the last time they all stood side by side. That was on the very sad occasion of the tragic deaths of their mother Kitty (nee Nally from nearby Seefin) and their step-father Tom Flaherty in a car accident between Enfield and Kilcock in 1975.
Small Tom was delighted with the long overdue reunion. “There were many occasions where there might be seven or eight of us or more together when we would meet over in Chicago. But for one reason or another, all eleven were never together at the same time until now.
“We had great fun and many a laugh. They were delighted that I was among the finalists in the Glór Tíre on TG4 some months ago. I sang a few songs for the guests at Catriona’s wedding in Meath and we had a great time up there. I have been out to Chicago several times over the years. All my six brothers live there as well as my sister Agnes. Catherine is in Sligo, Mary is in Athlone and Margaret is above in Meath. I’m minding the house for the lot of them here in Curraghroe. They all love to visit the homeplace every now and again,” says Tom.

Farewell to a Kiltimagh aristocrat

THE recent death of Maeve Jordan-Gavagan, Rathslevin, Kiltimagh truly marked the end of an era in this part of Mayo. Maeve was perhaps the last of the old aristocracy in the Kiltimagh and Bohola region.
Her world, and that of her ancestors, was different to that of many of the locals and she inherited a tradition which was in many ways far removed from that of the ordinary folk of the region.
Yet, Maeve was a person whose warm nature transcended difference or, perhaps, perceived difference. She was a larger-than-life character who could often be seen in the company of her big Irish wolfhound dog. To some locals, Maeve’s style was in keeping with the ‘big house’ and the world associated with people like the Gore-Booths in Sligo or Molly O’Rourke of Birmingham House near Tuam.
Her later brother Paddy was a well-known vet in the area for many years. He was a bit of a legendary character in those times and I recall, as a child, seeing him enjoying his drinks in my aunt Kathleen Commins’ pub in Thomas Street in Kiltimagh. He was known far and wide and Paddy had a ready view on most topics.
But to those who knew her best, Maeve was very much at home in the company of friends. In her younger years, she had a great passion for badminton and was a member of one of the most successful badminton teams ever to come out of Kiltimagh. She enjoyed numerous outings with the team as they competed in the county leagues in those times. She was also a member of Kiltimagh Musical Society and featured in the cast of various stage presentations over the years.
The long avenue to the family home, surrounded by large trees, and secluded from the passing traffic on the Kiltimagh to Bohola road, provided a peaceful and tranquil setting for Maeve to indulge in her reflective pastimes. She truly was one of the ‘old stock’, an institution who walked gently through the place she loved so well. Farewell, Maeve.