Patrick Joseph DUFFY

Paddy Duffy competed in the 1952 and 1956 Olympics and was coach to the Irish fencing team 1960-72. The only female member of the team in 1960 was Shirley Armstrong, who later became Duffy's wife.

A member of the St. Vincent’s GAA club, Duffy was a keen sportsman and played hurling and Gaelic football for them. He learned to fence during his time in the Irish Army during the Irish Emergency (1939-48), and in 1946 took up the sport competitively, Between 1947-52 he won Irish titles in the épée, sabre and all-weapons categories every year. Duffy later turned professional and ran the Salle Duffy in Dublin, where he coached many young fencers as it gained a reputation for being one of the leading fencing clubs in Ireland. At the time of his death, Duffy was the only professional fencer in Ireland. His brother Vincent was also an Irish foil champion.