Donegal All-Ireland winner James McHugh and his wife killed in Cavan crash

Donegal footballer James McHugh, pictured in 1996, who died in a collision in Cavan on Monday, August 10. File picture: Matthew Browne/Inpho

Noreen McHugh, the wife of James, has passed away following a collision in Cavan on Monday. 

1992 All-Ireland SFC winner McHugh, 62, died in the crash, which occurred shortly before 2pm on the N3 at Drummallaght  between Virginia and Cavan town. 

His wife, a passenger in the car, had been airlifted to Dublin’s Beamount Hospital with serious injuries but was pronounced dead on Tuesday night.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the collision or who was travelling in the area, particularly between 1pm and 2pm that day, to come forward.

Gardaí are also appealing to any motorists who may have dashcam or other camera footage of the area during this time to make this footage available.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bailieboro Garda Station on 042 969 4570, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

Earlier on Tuesday, tributes had mounted for McHugh. Donegal GAA hailed McHugh as a key member of Brian McEniff’s pioneering team from 34 years ago. 

“For many people across our county, James was one of their first heroes. James was part of the generation that changed Donegal football forever when he and his teammates brought Sam Maguire to the hills for the first time in 1992. The generation that showed us all that anything is possible," they said.

“A proud Donegal man, he was perhaps prouder still to be a Kilcar man. James’s unprecedented achievement on the turf of Croke Park that September day was made all the more special by the fact that he shared the field with his beloved brother Martin.

“To see the brothers from Kilcar soldier together as Donegal finally reached the summit is a memory that will live forever in the history of our county.” 

The county board praised his work in Chill Chartha’s hosting of this year’s Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta and expressed condolences with the McHugh family. 

Donegal’s 1992 All-Ireland winner Anthony Molloy told Donegal Daily: "James was a great family man, was so close to Noreen and was so proud of Eoin and Emma. He was a great character also behind the footballer we all knew him for.

" He had a great memory and was great at telling stories. 

"We will miss him deeply but I will remember the wonderful times we had together.” 

McEniff said he was “just broken-hearted”. He told Donegal Live: “James was such a fine man. I had a great friendship with him. He is the first player from the 1992 panel we have lost — we had also lost selector Séamus Bonar.

“It is just terrible. I don’t know what to say. James had the heart of a lion. I can still remember him in Clones in the Ulster final nipping in before big Brian McGilligan and getting the ball.

“No words can say what I feel and what I feel for the family as well. It is a terrible loss for them and for the Kilcar community.”