When Matt Hyland slipped away from us in his 90th year, he left us with a sense of loss, of having to come to terms with the extinguishing of an indomitable spirit, vibrancy and intellect that touched so many in his long lifetime. But he left us also with the concomitant pleasure of just having known him.
Some men have their specialities, but his was omniscience, allied to a profound Christian faith which he lived out to its fullest every day of his life. We often thought he should have been a bishop, so blessed was he with wisdom and compassion. Indeed, he counted many of the episcopacy among his friends. His friendship, like his personal philosophy, was of the positive kind, loyal and supporting, but also practical, as evidenced by his procuring of an annual five-gallon jar of whiskey for both the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland incumbents of a diocese west of the Shannon during the Emergency, when the availability of that nourishing spirit was beyond even the most resourceful.
Matt started life in Ballycranna, Co Tipperary and went to school with the Cistercians in Roscrea, where a deep affection for the monks of Mount St Joseph began. In a life of extraordinary breadth of interest and activity, his loyalty to the Abbey remained constant and undiminished. He was a brilliant student and won a scholarship to UCD, where he graduated in Agricultural Science with first place and first-class honours. At university, Matt continued his sporting achievements - he had won both the mile and half-mile in record times in Croke Park in 1927 at the All-Ireland Schools Athletic Championships - playing at centre in the rugby first XV and, on the track, establishing an inter-varsity mile record which stood for many years.
His first appointment in the field of agriculture took him to Dunshaughlin, where one of his duties was to call on farmers who allowed ragwort to grow freely. He liked to tell the story, with some relish, of how, when he arrived in the farmyard, the message would be relayed inside the house that "the weedman is here".
Very shortly afterwards, in 1934, he took up the position of agricultural adviser in the Irish Sugar Company in Mallow. During the next 20 years he moved to Tuam, Claremorris, Ballinasloe and Carlow. He resigned when chief agricultural advisor in Carlow to take up the position with the North Tipperary County Committee of Agriculture. In 1958 he moved to the Dublin County Committee of Agriculture, where he stayed until 1963, when, having greatly impressed the board of the National Bank with whom he had worked on a particular project, the innovative position of agricultural adviser to the bank was created for him - the first such position in any European bank. Following the amalgamation of the Irish banks, he became chief agricultural adviser to the Bank of Ireland Group, and remained so until his retirement in 1976.
The esteem in which he was held by his peers throughout his career resulted in his being elected chairman of the Agricultural Instructors' Association, president of the Irish Agricultural Officers' Association and president of the Agricultural Science Association.
Instead of easing off, Matt then became involved in more and more activities. It seemed that the long span of more than 20 years' retirement only revitalised his energy. He was prominent in the advancement of ecumenics and worked selflessly and quietly with many charitable organisations. He was adviser to a convent and three monasteries which follow the Rule of St Benedict, giving of his time and expertise as he did in all other areas of his life.
He was a fine golfer and an even better shot. Deer hunting became one of the passions of his life and he gave great service to the Irish Deer Society, ultimately serving as its chairman. He chased the wild deer and followed the roe in places as far apart as Arizona and Africa, and regularly hunted wild boar in Bavaria and other parts of Germeny. On the day after his 87th birthday, he set off for Namibia to hunt antelope. Matt, even at that age, was as nimble and fleet of foot as his quarry.
As one would expect from a stalker of deer, Matt had immense patience, and he brought this to bear in every facet of his life. His forebearance with the impetuosity of youth was another example of his Christian outlook in practice. His Christianity dominated his life in the most positive way, underpinning all his admirable traits and influencing his every thought and action. A few days before he died, he told his son Colm, who was at his bedside, that he was not to be concerned: that death seemed to him as natural as having breakfast. He knew he was going to his eternal reward and looked forward to it with the hope born of an undiminishable faith and of a virtuous and fulfilled life.
His final obsequies took place in his beloved Mount St Joseph with the entire community at his funeral Mass, celebrated by his great friend, Dom Colmcille O'Toole, Abbot of Roscrea.
His wife, Kay, sons Ceall and Colm, and daughters Lean and Triona will remember a wonderful man, with sadness and great pride.
C.M.