THE TIGHT-KNIT community of Crossmaglen in south Armagh is rallying behind the extended Hughes family following the death of James Hughes (35) who was shot dead early on Saturday morning in Dundalk, Co Louth.
Mr Hughes, an all-Ireland club medallist with Crossmaglen Rangers, was shot dead as he sat in a taxi with his 21-year-old girlfriend at about 4am on Sunday.
A 32-year-old man who later handed himself over for arrest to the gardaí is understood to be a former boyfriend of the woman.
A steady stream of neighbours and friends have been calling to the Hughes home in Crossmaglen since the killing to pay tribute to Mr Hughes, a father of three children, and to offer condolences to his extended family. His children, his father, three brothers and two sisters survive him.
An eyewitness said Mr Hughes pleaded with his killer not to shoot him. His death was the second tragedy to strike the family this year. In April, his mother, Joan, aged 56, died from sudden adult death syndrome.
Local people spoke of their shock and sadness at what many described as the “senseless” nature of his death.
Joe Kernan, who as manager was behind Armagh and Crossmaglen Rangers’ great modern GAA successes, said he fondly remembered Mr Hughes, who won three all-Ireland club medals with Crossmaglen. “He was a father figure and a brother to everyone in Crossmaglen Rangers, if I could describe him that way,” he said.
“He normally played as a corner forward. He was like a rocket. He was a wee whippet with a great left foot.”
Mr Kernan added: “He was in our house three or four times a week. He knew where the kettle was. He got on great with my own boys – he got on great with everybody. He never missed a session; he was one of those boys that there was no managing on him; you could always depend on him and every other player could depend on his as well.
“The thought that you would never see him again is tough to take but the people you feel most sorry for are his girlfriend and three children, his dad and his brothers and sisters.”
The Crossmaglen Rangers coaching officer Tim Gregory said he had known Mr Hughes from when he was aged five. “James would have won honours from the age of 10. He always played up in the forwards; he was light, a typical fast corner forward, who had a very successful career with the club.”
Mr Gregory said Mr Hughes was still playing with the Crossmaglen second team and was also moving into coaching with some local junior clubs. He was involved in farm management and was a plasterer by trade.
“He would have helped some of his colleagues when they were building houses, volunteering his time for free; he was that sort of fellow.”
After visiting the family, local SDLP councillor Geraldine Donnelly said Crossmaglen was in shock, the double-tragedy of the death of his mother earlier in the year compounding the sense of sadness. “There is a real feeling of disbelief. It just seems so senseless that such a pleasant, happy-go-lucky, young energetic man who loved life should lose his life in this manner.”
Conor Murphy, Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh, said, “The loss of a loved one is deeply traumatic in any circumstances but it is all the more disturbing for the family of this young man to have lost him in such a violent manner.”