Connacht Tribune
Auctioneer reflects on a previous role as armed security
He’s known across the county as one of Galway’s highest profile auctioneers – but few know that before all that, Martin Tyrrell had another life Down Under, when he provided armed security for two Prime Ministers.
The Tuam auctioneer spent eight years in Australia as a member of the Federal Police – and that involved working as an armed guard to two successive Premiers.
The Annaghdown native, who is now in his early eighties, worked security for Sir Robert Menzies and Harold Holt MP – during the Vietnam War when security was stepped up for heads of state.
But Martin became particularly close to Harold Holt and it was during his return to Ireland in 1967 that he learned of the Prime Minister’s tragic death in a fishing accident which still is a source of great regret for him.
“I was devastated by the news when I arrived in Shannon,” he told The Connacht Tribune.
Martin emigrated to Australia in the late fifties and on graduating from the Federal Police College, he was posted to the Prime Minister’s Lodge – the Australian equivalent of 10 Downing Street.
This was the home of the Australian Prime Minister and there are not too many people in Tuam and North Galway in general who realise that the genial and very highly regarded auctioneer was once ‘armed to the teeth’ in order to protect those he was responsible for.
“It is around this time of year that bring back special memories for me,” admitted Martin. “But unfortunately they are tragic ones as I got to know Harold Holt’s family extremely well”.
His working life in Australia coincided with a time when conscripts were being sent to Vietnam from Australia – and thus security had to be intensified.
Tuam auctioneer Martin Tyrrell and his wife Ann.
Photo: Johnny Ryan Photography.
“It was a very stressful era and, at the time, I was fully armed as there were occasions when I was confronted by several agitators and objectors,” he recalls.
It was in December 1967 that Martin was preparing for his return home to Galway having spent eight years in Australia when he learned of the devastating news that Prime Minister Hold had lost his life.
Prior to his departure, Martin had been invited to their spacious residence at The Lodge by Prime Minister Holt and his wife Zara.
“The Prime Minister’s final words to me were ‘Give my love to Ireland’,” Martin recalls.
He said that he was in shock when he learned of the death of his good friend in the deep sea fishing accident off the Melbourne coast. “They were very courteous and friendly to me,” he said.
Martin was the only Irish person to be assigned on security duties at the Prime Minister’s Lodge. He said that on arrival at Shannon Airport the Irish Flag was at half-mast in sympathy with the Australian people.
“This was a very touching experience,” said Martin who wrote a personal letter of sympathy to widow Zara Holt and received a nice letter in reply.
Martin Tyrrell is married to Ann – a Longford-born nurse whom he met in Australia. They have a family of four who all grown up and are in various professions in Ireland, England and Scotland.
The Tyrrell family are in constant touch with friends in Australia and they have also revisited the country on a number of occasions. However, Martin’s experience at the Prime Minister’s Lodge holds special memories.
On a return visit to Canberra a number of years later, he was received at The Lodge by Prime Minister Malcolm Frazier, who served from 1975 to 1983. He presented Mrs Frazier with a Galway Crystal vase at the time.
Following his return from Australia, Martin and his brother Pat Tyrrell established an auctioneering business which will celebrate 50 years in existence during the course of this year.
However, he still has fond memories of Australia and for many years, compiled a diary about his experiences Down Under for the local newspapers.
He is one of the most highly regarded local auctioneers and one that is renowned for being one that is great at selling land. The vast majority of farmers in North Galway rarely stray away from Martin when it comes to disposing of farmland.
As for retiring? “Well, there are no plans yet,” he says.
Significant state investment is required to address ‘shocking’ inequalities that leave cancer patients in the West at greater risk of succumbing to the disease.
A meeting of Regional Health Forum West heard that survival rates for breast, lung and colorectal cancers than the national average, and with the most deprived quintile of the population, the West’s residents faced poorer outcomes from a cancer diagnosis.
For breast cancer patients, the five-year survival rate was 80% in the West versus 85% nationally; for lung cancer patients it was 16.7% in the west against a 19.5% national survival rate; and in the West’s colorectal cancer patients, there was a 62.6% survival rate where the national average was 63.1%.
These startling statistics were provided in answer to a question from Ballinasloe-based Cllr Evelyn Parsons (Ind) who said it was yet another reminder that cancer treatment infrastructure in the West was in dire need of improvement.
“The situation is pretty stark. In the Western Regional Health Forum area, we have the highest incidence of deprivation and the highest health inequalities because of that – we have the highest incidences of cancer nationally because of that,” said Cllr Parsons, who is also a general practitioner.
In details provided by CEO of Saolta Health Care Group, which operates Galway’s hospitals, it was stated that a number of factors were impacting on patient outcomes.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
Galway 3-18
Cork 1-10
NEW setting; new opposition; new challenge. It made no difference to the Galway minor hurlers as they chalked up a remarkable sixth consecutive double digits championship victory at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The final scoreline in Thurles may have been a little harsh on Cork, but there was no doubting Galway’s overall superiority in setting up only a second-ever All-Ireland showdown against Clare at the same venue on Sunday week.
Having claimed an historic Leinster title the previous weekend, Galway took a while to get going against the Rebels and also endured their first period in a match in which they were heavily outscored, but still the boys in maroon roll on.
Beating a decent Cork outfit by 14 points sums up how formidable Galway are. No team has managed to lay a glove on them so far, and though Clare might ask them questions other challengers haven’t, they are going to have to find significant improvement on their semi-final win over 14-man Kilkenny to pull off a final upset.
Galway just aren’t winning their matches; they are overpowering the teams which have stood in their way. Their level of consistency is admirable for young players starting off on the inter-county journey, while the team’s temperament appears to be bombproof, no matter what is thrown at them.
Having romped through Leinster, Galway should have been a bit rattled by being only level (0-4 each) after 20 minutes and being a little fortunate not to have been behind; or when Cork stormed out of the blocks at the start of the second half by hitting 1-4 to just a solitary point in reply, but there was never any trace of panic in their ranks.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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GARDAÍ and the IFA have issued a joint appeal to all road users to take extra care as the silage season gets under way across the country.
Silage harvesting started in many parts of Galway last week – and over the coming month, the sight of tractors and trailers on rural roads will be getting far more frequent.
Inspector Conor Madden, who is in charge of Galway Roads Policing, told the Farming Tribune that a bit of extra care and common-sense from all road users would go a long way towards preventing serious collisions on roads this summer.
“One thing I would ask farmers and contractors to consider is to try and get more experienced drivers working for them.
“Tractors have got faster and bigger – and they are also towing heavy loads of silage – so care and experience are a great help in terms of accident prevention,” Inspector Madden told the Farming Tribune.
He said that tractor drivers should always be aware of traffic building up behind them and to pull in and let these vehicles pass, where it was safe to do so.
“By the same token, other road users should always exercise extra care; drive that bit slower; and ‘pull in’ that bit more, when meeting tractors and heavy machinery.
“We all want to see everyone enjoying a safe summer on our roads – that extra bit of care, and consideration for other roads users can make a huge difference,” said Conor Madden.
He also advised motorists and tractor drivers to be acutely aware of pedestrians and cyclists on the roads during the summer season when more people would be out walking and cycling on the roads.
The IFA has also joined in on the road safety appeal with Galway IFA Farm Family and Social Affairs Chair Teresa Roche asking all road users to exercise that extra bit of care and caution.
“We are renewing our annual appeal for motorists to be on the look out for tractors, trailers and other agricultural machinery exiting from fields and farmyards,” she said.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
