Glowing tributes for Limerick pig farmer at awards night
LIMERICK IFA was honoured to nominate Tom Hogan for the 2022 Paddy Fitzgerald memorial awards.
Limerick IFA chairman Sean Lavery spoke in glowing terms of the pig farmer from Anglesboro at the ceremony in the Dunraven Arms which is named after another great Limerick man.
Tom was born in 1951, a son of Jeremiah and Margaret Coffey, on a typical family farm of the period.
“A defining event in Tom’s life was the death of his father at the age of 15 in 1967. This meant that Tom had to leave secondary education early and enter the university of adult life. Over the next 10 years Tom grew the dairy herd to 50 cows having also overcome a TB clearance in 1969. Remember he was not even 20 when this happened. The 1970s were a time of new opportunities in Ireland after we joined the common market and Tom embraced these opportunities. By 1980, Tom in addition to milking cows now added his first pig unit supplying Galtee/Mitchelstown Co-op. About this time Tom was also elected as Anglesboro’s representative on its committee,” said Mr Lavery.
In 1976 Tom married Maureen Healy, a primary school teacher from Galbally. Tom and Maureen have three children Niall, who farms the pig unit with Tom, and two daughters Isobel and Louise.
“From a very early age Tom has been involved in supporting local community groups both as a member, treasurer and committee member, fundraiser, and promoter of many good causes. Tom has been actively involved in raising funds for his local GAA club Galtee Gaels over the years for an impressive clubhouse and changing rooms. Tom and his son Niall have even sponsored team kits on two occasions,” said Mr Lavery.
Tom’s other activities include fundraising for many local charities such as “Special Friends” for children with special needs.
“What you might not expect is that Tom has completed the Ring of Kerry cycle marathon three times for charity. That all followed the receipt of a racing bike for his 60th birthday. Tom is best known to us as chairman of the IFA pigs committee from 2017 to 2020. This followed very many years of representing local pig farmers negotiating prices and organising a producer group. Tom was well respected for his fair minded but tough representation of farmers in a challenging sector going through a lot of change,” said Mr Lavery.