Last week proved to be one of the more sombre weeks in the history of the Society. As members were gathering to form a guard of honour at Christy Glynn's funeral, word filtered through of the tragic passing of another prominent former member and Chairperson, Tommy Bruen.

Tommy, a very well-known member of our community, first got involved with the Musical Society in its fourth year, for its first musical production, Oklahoma!, in 1972, when he played the part of "Slim". From Oklahoma! in 1972 through to South Pacific in 1989, Tommy would take to the stage in all but three productions, playing parts such as "Stewpot" in South Pacific in 1973, "Francis Fryer" in Calamity Jane in 1974 and "Finian" in Finian's Rainbow in 1985.

But Tommy was far more than just a performer. Throughout the 70's and early 80's, Tommy served many years on the Society's committee, taking on roles such as Assistant PRO and Assistant Secretary in that time. In the early 2000's, Tommy stepped into the position of Assistant Chairperson and, eventually, Chairperson of the Society in 2001.

Tommy would return for a final appearance on-stage as a High Priest in our 2001 production of Jesus Christ Superstar, before lending his voice as a pit-singer for our 2003 production of Calamity Jane. In the summer of 2003, Tommy and his on-stage partner, Martha Rhatigan, memorably reprised their duet "You're Just in Love" from 1976's Call Me Madam as part of the Special Olympics celebrations for our Kuwaiti guests in Castlerea.

Tommy will be dearly missed, not just by members of the Society, but by members of the community of Castlerea at large. His friendly manner, positive attitude and sense of both fun and kindness were always appreciated and will be long-remembered.

The Society offers its condolences to Tommy's family, and his wide circle of friends, at the difficult time. May he rest in peace.