Paddy O'Hagan

The sudden death of Paddy O'Hagan on Monday 11 March was the third tragedy to hit the O'Hagan family in recent years.

Paddy O'Hagan was just 49 years old when he died suddenly in hospital from a suspected heart attack. In 1994, loyalist gunmen smashed their way into Paddy's isolated farm and, in one of the most vicious killings of the conflict, they shot dead Paddy's wife Kathleen in the bedroom of their home. Kathleen was six months pregnant when she was killed. In the attack, the gun gang sprayed bullets just above the cot where 18-month-old Thomas stood, watching the killing of his mother.

At the time of Kathleen's killing, her family called for an inquiry into collusion between the Crown forces and the loyalist killer gang.

Young Thomas himself died in tragic circumstances when in August 1997, three years to the month after his mother's death, he suffered massive burns in a fire in an outhouse on the family farm. He died later at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Paddy suffered severe burns to his hands in the fire when he went into the building to try to rescue his youngest son.

Paddy, from Barony Road on the main Cookstown to Omagh Road, was a former republican POW who spent up to ten years in the H Blocks of Long Kesh. Up to five of those years were spent on the Blanket and No Wash protest between 1976 and 1982.

On his release from prison, Paddy O'Hagan and his family were on the receiving end of intense Crown forces harassment; on many occasions he was stopped at checkpoints with his sons and taken from the car. The body searches Paddy received were little less then physical assaults and his life was threatened countless times.

The harassment became constant after 1988, when the crown forces brought in JCB diggers to dig up the floors of the O'Hagan home during a raid that lasted a number of days.

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty said that Paddy's untimely death had totally stunned the community. "It is hard to grasp the immensity of the tragedy that has befallen this close-knit family in as many years," he said. "The continuing tragedy would bring tears to a stone.

"Paddy's death now leaves four young children orphaned and the plight of the children has evoked widespread anguish and sorrow, not only throughout Tyrone but in South Derry, where the family are also well-known, loved and respected.

"Despite all the tragedy that the O'Hagan family had suffered, Paddy exuded a powerful dignity in the face of such adversity. He was very philosophical about life and spoke ill of no one. He was a great family man and was inseparable from his sons. His sons were always with him no matter where he was. He was extremely proud of his children.

"Paddy would also want to be remembered as an Irish republican who had a strong outlook as regards the National Question. I am privileged to have known such a remarkable human being and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to his children and to his extended family circle at this sad time."

According to Sinn Féin Assembly member for the area, Barry McElduff, Paddy's family and friends were in the process of organising a surprise 50th birthday party for him later this month. Said McElduff: "Paddy O'Hagan's death is a huge tragedy. His passing is a great shock to the people of a great part of Counties Tyrone and Derry, where Kathleen was from, and they had a great many friends."

Paddy O'Hagan was buried on Wednesday 13 March at Greencastle cemetery.

I measc laochra na Gael a raibh sé. To his sons Patrick, Damien, Niall and Raymond we offer our heartfelt sympathy.