OBITUARY: Regret at passing of wonderful community stalwart Tom Fitzgerald

I was really sad to hear of the passing on Christmas Eve of Tom Fitzgerald, former Chief Executive of Muintir na Tíre.

A native of Tipperary Town, Tom lived in St Michael Street, Tipperary Town, just across the road from the building that he was synonymous with, the Tipperary Community Services Centre of Muintir na Tíre.

The family home was in Fr Mathew Street and Tom was predeceased by his brother John and sister Crissie. Tom served as right-hand man to the late Canon John Hayes, right up to his death in 1957. He travelled the country with him as his driver, and personal assistant.

Tom said once that he first came to know Canon Hayes as a very kind priest, when he was an altar server.

Then in 1946 the Canon gave Tom a job at the new Muintir National Office at Rosanna Road in the town, where the Headquarters are still located.

Tom said that Canon Hayes was a truly charismatic figure who attracted huge national and international attention and that he remembered traffic being held up for hours one night at Kildare, on the main road to Dublin, as a torchlight procession led Canon Hayes into town.

I was truly honoured to follow in the footsteps of Canon Hayes when I was elected National President of Muintir na Tíre in 2008 and I can say without question that it was the wise counsel and advice of Tom Fitzgerald that steered me so well throughout my Presidency.

I relied greatly on Tom’s immense knowledge of the history and the background to Canon Hayes and to the many initiatives of Muintir na Tíre, to assist me in planning for the future direction of the organisation.

Tom had extraordinary recall of people and events and on one particular occasion where he told me about the Ballyboy Hall Fire Disaster of December 1967 and the resultant Fire Fund set up by Muintir na Tíre.

He was able to give a full account of the disaster and the names of everyone that had been involved in the Fire Fund.

He had an extraordinary recall of detail that he had down to who sat where at the relevant meetings.

While Tom’s title was originally Chief Administrative Officer it soon became a role of CEO as Tom had responsibility for all administrative and budgetary policies.

In fact it was Tom’s astute budgeting that saved Muintir na Tíre from financial meltdown on more than one occasion.

What is remarkable about Tom Fitzgerald is that he worked all of his life with Muintir na Tíre. From 1947 until his retirement and then after his retirement, Tom dedicated his whole life to the organisation that was founded by Canon John Hayes when he was a curate in Tipperary Town in 1937.

Throughout his life Tom served his community and was one of the pioneers of community development.

It should be remembered that is was Tom, along with a number of other like-minded people that helped to formulate plans for the establishment of a Community Council, a Credit Union, a Community Information Centre (now Citizens Information Service) - the first one established in Ireland, a local Community Radio Project (TCR), a Youth Centre, a Meals on Wheels Service and a Community Services Centre.

These are legacies of Tom Fitzgerald’s involvement in community and community development.

From a Muintir na Tíre perspective the legacy of Tom Fitzgerald is undoubtedly the donation of its archives to NUI Galway. The substantial archive consisting of 162 boxes and approximately 8,217 items was transferred to the James Hardiman Library in late 2016.

The archive consisting of paper files, publications, photographs, loose documents, floppy disks, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, vinyl and bound volumes were collated entirely by Tom Fitzgerald.

The archives have been curated and indexed by NUIG and are available for research to the general public. They will provide an invaluable resource to anybody with an interest in community development and local history.

Because of the foresight and perseverance of Tom Fitzgerald, University of Galway has made available to scholars and the public the archive of Muintir na Tíre (People of the Land), Ireland’s most significant rural community development movement of the twentieth century.

Because of illness I was unable to attend Tom’s funeral but was very pleased to have the opportunity to view the Mass from my hospital bed on the St Michael’s Parish Webcam and to hear Archdeacon Eugene Everard and his good friend and colleague, Dr Des Marnane, pay full and wholesome tributes to Tom and to honour some of his exceptional community work.

It was also nice to hear a classical touch to some of the hymns as performed by members of the Danny Ryan School of Music, as Tom had a great love for such music and was in fact a radio presenter of classical music during his involvement with TCR (Tipperary Community Radio) and later with Tipperary Mid West Radio.

In the last couple of years Tom received exceptional care at Sacre Coeur Nursing Home and his passing will be mourned by all who cared for him but especially by his loving wife Mary Coleman-Fitzgerald and his sister Mary.

They will miss Tom the most, and to them and to all his extended family members, former colleagues, neighbours and many friends we extend our deepest sympathy.

We must remember Tom and his contribution to Muintir na Tíre and to community development and we must honour his memory in some appropriate way in due course. Tom was interred in St Michael’s Cemetery, Tipperary on Thursday, December 29
May his gentle soul Rest in Peace.

Written by Martin Quinn