by Joe Murray
We previously recorded the death of Tom Hyland; he died in Dili on 24th December 2024. There was a memorial mass and civic ceremony in Ballyfermot, Dublin in January and this was the tribute made by his good friend Joe Murray, former coordinator of Afri –
I think that anyone who knew Tom Hyland will agree that he was a unique human being. While not seeking to beatify him, he definitely had a rare combination of gifts, talents and flair.
Tom was kind, caring and generous and deeply felt the suffering, not only of other people but also of animals.
I remember walking with him through Ballyfermot or through town and he would rarely pass anyone who was looking for money without helping. His love for animals led him to be a dedicated vegetarian and his concern for people led him to be a great humanitarian – and to his setting up the East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign.
He had an extraordinary level of determination and commitment and once he took on the cause of Timor, nothing would stand in his way. He read, studied, listened and learned everything possible about East Timor and then threw himself completely into the cause of freedom for the Timorese people.
While he never lost his sense of humour or his humanity, he was single-minded and completely focussed on the cause. He was a regular visitor to Afri and often he would’ve heard about another atrocity committed by Indonesian troops and he would be devastated but, rather than giving up – he’d be even more determined to continue to support the struggle. I didn’t really believe that Timor would achieve its independence – the grip of the Indonesian occupation was so tight – and I used to wonder why Tom continued to put himself through such distress and trauma. But his example is a good lesson for those of us campaigning today on issues such as the genocide in Palestine and the numerous mindless wars happening around our world. We must never give up the fight!
He was creative when it came to campaigning. There are many examples of this but a particularly significant one was when Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating made a nostalgic visit to Ireland, the land of his ancestors in 1993. Keating’s family left Ireland around 1855, as a result of evictions. To highlight Australia’s support for Indonesia, Tom organised a candle light vigil outside Dublin Castle, while the Prime Minister was being wined and dined inside, highlighting parallels between Keating’s ancestors and the eviction of people in East Timor under Indonesian occupation. A source within the Australian embassy told Tom afterwards that the Prime Minister was furious by the fact that his nostalgic lap of honour was marred by this protest.
Tom was extremely popular both at home in Ireland and in East Timor. I was privileged to have visited Timor on two occasions – once as the people prepared to vote for Independence and again in 2015 to accept an award from the President of East Timor on behalf of ETISC. I stayed in Tom’s house for the second visit and met many of his friends, students whom he was helping through college and his cats, of course.
I travelled into Dili with him on the back of his Honda 50 and it was like travelling with a global celebrity. Dozens of times on the short journey people waved and shouted ‘Mr. Tom’. When we arrived near his office, and were walking through a busy shopping area, Tom made a noise like he was calling chickens and this was echoed back numerous times…obviously a secret language that Tom had developed with the people in the market. I attended his class where he was teaching English to future Diplomats in his own unique way. During the class, one of his students asked him ‘Mr. Tom, can I take a half day’? Can you take a half day, Tom repeated… ‘you can in your bollix’!
So, if you hear this term being used by the Timorese delegation in UN negotiations, you’ll know exactly where it originated.
He was advised to speak to a solicitor in a company called Potter and Anderson. He asked the receptionist if he could see Mr. Potter. The receptionist asked who will I tell Mr. Potter is calling? Without a second’s hesitation, he said ‘his son, Harry’.
This sense of fun was perhaps Tom’s most distinctive feature. He had an exceptional sense of mischief and humour. There are many other stories of moments like these, far too numerous to mention.
In conclusion, Tom was a kind, compassionate, generous, determined, creative and funny man. He was a great friend and we miss him greatly. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.