Mr Pat McHugh, Latt, Cavan

The death occurred at his residence on Saturday last of Mr Pat McHugh, Latt, Cavan. A native of Hollymount, Co Mayo, he was born in 1926 and received his early education at the local national school and later the Christian Brothers secondary school in Ballinrobe, which necessitated a round trip of 20 miles per day. In 1948 he graduated from UCD with an honours degree in Agricultural Science and completed a Masters degree the following year. He married in 1955 and during his 40 years in the public service he held eight different positions ranging from a rural science teacher in Co Carlow to acting as senior Inspector of Agriculture. Pat worked as an agricultural advisor in east Cavan up to the early 1950s. In the latter part of that decade he worked as a farm manager in Townley Hall, Drogheda on a farm owned by Trinity College. Farmers still well remember that during his stay, he organised a group water scheme, probably the first in Co. Louth. In his eight different roles in the public service, Pat made lifelong friends and kept in touch with them through regular 'phone calls. He was blessed with a wonderful memory and could recall the names and addresses and family members he visited 40 years ago. He could recount extremes of weather conditions, floods, frost and snow and where he was on each occasion. Major development schemes In his role as a department inspector, Pat was deeply involved in drafting two development schemes for Irish farmers, namely the Small Farm Incentive Bonus Scheme and the Farm Modernisation Scheme. Both these schemes had a major impact in the development of Irish agriculture. Pat always kept very close to nature and was aware of the names of many flowers and shrubs. He propagated trees, shrubs and flowers which was evident by his beautiful house and ornate garden. Many of his friends' gardens were enhanced by his home-bred trees and shrubs. When not attending to his garden, Pat liked to take long drives on a Sunday. Pat attended agricultural shows throughout the country notably the Spring Show in Dublin and the Balmoral Show in Belfast. He also attended the Royal Show in Coventry and the French Show in Paris. These visits helped him retain and renew contact with his colleagues and were very much in his annual calendar of events. He forged links with the advisory services of Northern Ireland years before the historic Belfast Agreement. Pat was deeply involved in various activities in Cavan parish and was especially active in St Vincent de Paul Society, especially in the area of furniture procurement and repairs if needed, as well as distributing to people in need. He was the chief usher in the Cathedral, a position he held for over 20 years. A most devout man who attended Mass daily he also facilitated the Bible study group by making his house available on a weekly basis. He was a lifelong member of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Pat operated an open door policy where neighbours and friends were made most welcome in his home in Latt. He was a great lover of nature and was an authority on all aspects of agriculture. An avid reader, he had built up a large collection of books on agriculture and biographies and had a collection of many rare copies of old agricultural journals. His most recent purchase before Christmas was two large text books on the history of the Popes from St Peter to Pope Benedict. He is survived by his wife Madeleine and daughters, Mrs Angela Flynn and Mrs Pauline Johnston. The funeral took place on Monday from the Cathedral to St Brigid's cemetery, Killygarry.