Grieving family lead tributes to late Fermanagh farmer, 100

Tommy, who was in his 101st year, passed away peacefully at Carneyhome, near Magheraveely on January 27, surrounded by his family.

Born on the family farm in the townland of Lisnamallard, Newtownbutler on October 11, 1921, Tommy was the third-born of eight children.

As a child, he attended the local school and left at the age of 11 to work with his father and brothers on the family farm.

“Dad often talked of the exploits he and two of his brothers, Henry and Alfie, got up to during their 20s and 30s,” said Tommy’s daughter, Veronica.

“He talked of how, during the war years, they trapped rabbits for export to London. This involved hanging the dead rabbits from the handlebars of the bicycle and cycling to Enniskillen to sell them.

“Once, when asked did they give the money to his mother, the quick reply was, ‘No we did not – we bought cigarettes and smoked them at Ballagh Cross’,” she recalled.

Most of Tommy’s time was spent on the farm but he was also a member of the Home Guard and received a medal for his efforts.

Medal

One July, after the war, he was chosen to attend Buckingham Palace to be presented with the medal. He said he was selected because he was “tall and straight”.

The family recall him telling how he spent the night on an army troop train at Crewe Station, having never slept a wink, and came home to Belfast to hear a band playing on Sandy Row, and he vowed he’d never miss a Twelfth at home again.

Tommy always said he wouldn’t get married until he could afford to keep a wife and family. At the age of 38, he married Elizabeth (Betty) Armstrong and together they set up home in Carneyhome. The couple went on to have four children: Alison, Alex, Lucille and Veronica.

“Dad was a strong man and a hard worker. He built up the farm while mum taught school,” explained Alex.

Alongside working on the farm, Tommy took up part-time employment as a rate collector, covering the Rosslea and Newtownbutler areas.

“It was a great treat to get a day off school ‘sick’, because once mum left for school, a remarkable recovery could take place and the day would be spent driving round the country in the van, collecting rates and drinking tea from dad’s flask,” recalled Lucille and Veronica.

As children, Alison, Alex, Lucille and Veronica spent the summer holidays helping their father on the farm. “Everybody helped make hay and later silage,” said Alison, who, as the oldest, was her father’s helper in the early days.

“I remember driving the blue Dexta tractor as dad shovelled stones from the link box into open drains, at the ripe old age of five,” she reminisced.

The late Tommy Johnston.

Tommy was a life-long member of Aghadrumsee LOL 1325, having joined at the age of 17. He recently celebrated 83 years’ commitment to the lodge and was at that time the longest-serving member.

He also played the bass drum in Aghadrumsee Flute Band for many years, initially alongside his brothers, Alfie and Henry, who played flutes.

He encouraged the next generations to join as they came along. All his children and many nieces, nephews and in more recent years, grandchildren all played in the band – a true family effort.

Even after he retired from the band due to old age, he was known to ‘step in’ as a reserve drummer if needed.

The last time was when he was in his 80s, when he played the drum at an outing at Inver. Tommy’s last outing to see the band was last July when he attended the Twelfth in Maguiresbridge.

Last October, joined by family, church friends and members of LOL 1325, Tommy celebrated his 100th birthday in Aghadrumsee hall.

The late Tommy Johnston.

‘Delighted’

“He was delighted with all the cards and boxes of chocolates that he got, including a very special card from The Queen,” said daughter Lucille.

Tommy was very thankful to be able to live out his days in his house at Carneyhome, and was blessed to have family to look after him.

“He was very fond of all the different carers who came to look after him, some of whom learnt his favourite song, ‘The Isle of Capri’, so that they could sing along with him,” said Alison, adding: “We wish to convey our heartfelt thanks to all who made it possible for dad to spend his final years at home.”

Dearly beloved husband of the late Elizabeth, and dear father of Alison (Trevor), Alex (Sylvia), Lucille (Joe) and Veronica (Lexie), Tommy is deeply missed by his son, daughters, grandchildren Vanessa (Daniel), George, Andrew, Samuel, Joseph, William, John, Rebecca, Katie, Daniel, Alex and Jamie, their partners, and all the family circle.