Sir, – What a beautiful and moving tribute your reporter Miriam Lord wrote in (Home News, November 27th).
I first got to know Tom in my capacity as branch manager of an Irish bank in Luton. A more honest and honourable person I have yet to encounter. While there, I saw at first hand how far “the powerful elite” referred to in her article were prepared to go to break him. They provided false information to the Inland Revenue, in order to have him adjudicated bankrupt and his assets frozen. And this happened shortly before one Christmas thus rendering him penniless (order subsequently lifted when truth emerged).
When I returned to Cork our friendship grew stronger and I saw at first hand the campaign of vilification waged against him by the the same “powerful elite” – of property developers/politicians and their lobbyists/sections of media. At times, I felt almost ashamed to be Irish. But as his wonderful son Thomas said in his eulogy to Tom “he never wavered in his commitment to the truth”.
And what a privilege it was for me to be asked by his sister Una to recite his favourite poem The Touch of the Master's Hand after his coffin was lowered.
Ní bheidh a leithéid aris ann. – Yours, etc,
NOEL O’LEARY,
Middle Glanmire Road,
Cork.