Earlier today we heard the sad news that another of our Club Presidents Hughie Duffy passed away peacefully in Castleross Nursing Home, somewhere he had only moved into less than a week ago, peacefully surrounded by his family. Just seven weeks ago fellow club president Frank Connolly died- both he and Hughie worked side by side over the decades. Hughie was the quiet one of the duo and turned 88 in June. Hughie had been involved with the club since pre it’s foundation and despite living with dementia, the past year and a half, was still a regular match attendee until a few months ago. In 2020 Hughie was nominated by the club for the Co. Board Volunteer Appreciation Award – Here was what was written about him at the time.
Hughie Duffy – The Quiet President
Valuing the Volunteer – Drumhowan’s Recipient 2020
Hughie Duffy has been involved in Drumhowan since prior to its foundation in 1953 till the present day. From the kickabouts in Mc Manus’ field in Cornahoe which were a catalyst to the foundation of the club, to Club President today– Hughie has seen and done it all.
Hughie is one of those unsung heroes whose unending commitment and hard work means that clubs like Drumhowan have survived through the decades. Throughout the seventies, eighties and nineties Hughie was a selector with the senior side culminating with the winning of the junior championship in 1991 and intermediate championship two years later in 1993.
The early 1980’s was an extremely busy period in Hughie’s life. Rearing a young family in Cornahoe this was also the period that Drumhowan purchased and developed Páirc Mhic Eoin. During this decade Hughie was the club’s groundsman and from 1985 to 1987 the club was awarded Best Club Grounds. The fingerprints of his work were all around the place.
Alongside his friend and fellow president Frank Connolly even to this day seven decades later he is often the first to step forward , first on the job and last to leave. He has been an ever present on the club’s executive. Even in 2020 when he was cocooning, he rarely missed attending a match.
Hughie is the quiet type, softly spoken, measured in his responses and cool under pressure and it gives the club great pleasure to announce him as our nomination for the Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation Scheme 2020.
At this stage the club offers its sympathy to Hughie’s family – daughters Margaret (Michael) and Catheriona (Gabriel), sons Seamus (Club Chairperson) (Maria), Joe (Fiona) and Brendan Rip (Vivienne), brothers, sisters, his 19 cherished grandchildren, sisters in-law, brothers in-law, nieces, nephews and a large circle of friends. We also remember his late wife Rosie and son Brendan at this time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann.
Full funeral arrangements can be seen by clicking on the link below.
https://rip.ie/death-notice/hughie-duffy-monaghan-ballybay-566814
