Hugh Green (1931-2012)
Hugh Green was born in Raphoe, County Donegal, Ireland and was one of eight siblings. They grew up with very little by today’s standards.
Although Hugh left school at the age of twelve, he gained great knowledge and skills at the cattle sales with his father.
At the age of seventeen, Hugh left Ireland for Scotland and eventually made his way to New Zealand. Through unwavering determination and hard work, Hugh achieved substantial business success in New Zealand and maintained a lifelong commitment to giving back to others; “One of the best things about having acquired some wealth through making good deals is that you can use it to provide help where it’s needed.”
After Hugh’s passing in 2012 Hugh’s eldest daughter Maryanne set up the Hugo Charitable Trust to continue his legacy of giving a hand up to those in need.
We are sure that Hugh would be proud to see the lasting impact of his hard work.
“I’ve always tried to follow my father’s example of sharing what I have with other people. Even when I wasn’t earning much, I managed to find a little to help those who had even less.”
Hugh Green
A Lad From Raphoe
By Mark Owens, 2005
A drover lad, a cattle trader
Engineer and corporate raider
Scottish tunnels, Aussie cane
Ditches, piping, wind and rain
Hydro dams and island roads
Wheelbarrows and bucket loads
Drainage dug, all by hand
The Irish boys, a merry band
Diesel engines, hydraulic rams
More by levers, less by hands
Farming fringe of city sites
Office work and boardroom fights
Subdivided, built and leased
Trading shares, contracting ceased
Children grown, married fifty years
Doctor of law, respect of peers
Time to rest, look back with pride
At hardship taken in your stride
Sharing wealth with needs you know
Not bad, for a lad from Raphoe
