Tommy loved and respected the community so much
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE family of community leader and activist Tommy Gilson want to thank the Jobstown community for their support after he passed away last week, with many members of the community forming a guard of honour at his funeral on Friday.
Tommy left an indelible mark on the community through his work as founder and manager of Jobstown Assisting Drug Dependency (JADD) alongside his wife Chrissie in 1996.
Before the Gilsons helped to set up JADD in 1996, people who had drug addiction issues had to travel to Pearse Street and pay for GP and prescription services, and methadone treatment wasn’t available on the medical card at that time either.
Tommy, who retired from JADD in 2018, always had community at the heart of his work.
Many members of the community showed their appreciation for him following his sad passing, including Superintendent Ian Lackey of Tallaght Garda Station, who saluted Tommy’s coffin on his final journey.
Reflecting on the support they’ve received from the community following Tommy’s death, the Gilson family said: “We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the community of Jobstown, and the broader Tallaght area, for their support following the death of our father, Tommy Gilson, last week.
“Our father loved the community of Jobstown, and would have been so proud to receive a guard of honour from a community he loved and respected so much.
Tommy Gilson
“We would also like to say a special thank you to Father Bill and the team at St Thomas Apostle Church for the beautiful ceremony, and for accommodating the family in providing our father’s service online.
“Further to this, thank you to the staff of Brian McElroy funeral directors, in particular Paula Murphy, who provided invaluable guidance to a devastated family in their time of need.
“To all the nurses and doctors of the Ruttle Ward, Tallaght Hospital, in particular Mary, Bismarck, Hazel, Conor and Ali, thank you for the care you provided to our father – you are truly incredible people.
“As a family, we are extremely proud of our father, and his achievements in life.
“In particular, as a founding member and manager of the JADD project in Jobstown, he dedicated a large part of his life to supporting and advocating for the most vulnerable members of society.
“We take great comfort from the fact that through JADD, our father leaves a proud legacy that will continue to support our community for years to come.
“Most importantly, we are most proud of our father as a loving and supportive family man, in particular as a devoted and loving husband to our mother, Chrissie.”
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