Tom Duff is perhaps best known as the father of Mary Duff, the country and western singer, but in his own right Tom is famous for both football and music.

Tom was born April 3rd in 1934 to Fred and Brigid Duff (nee Califf of Rathbran) in Creevagh. His two brothers Seamie and Pasty are famous in G.A.A circles also.
Tom went to Newtown National School, at a time when nobody owned a football to play with, so different types of materials were used to make up a type of football. Tom played at juvenile level and in 1946 Syddan won a juvenile championship beating De La Salles of Navan.

Men like Myles O'Reilly, Tom Dillion, Paddy Woods, and Jim Curtis, as well as his brother Seamie Duff played for Syddan. Fred Duff and Bill Dillion were in charge of the team. Paddy McConnon of Mitchelstown had a taxi station-wagon, and whatever he made for the run, he bought minerals and biscuits for the players.
At minor level in 1952 Dee Rangers-Syddan, Rathkenny and Drumconrath beat De La Salles of Navan in Pairc Tailteann. Jim and Paddy Fitzsimons played for De La Salles. This was the first minor title for Dee Rangers in a long while.
Tom, his brother Seamie and Kevin Clare were asked to go for a trial for the county juniors. Both Seamie and Kevin Clare got on the team while Tom, who played very well and scored three points, was left off.

He found out later that he was wanted for the senior Meath Football team. This was in 1953, one year before Meath played in the All-Ireland. County training was in Navan and Tom remembers working at buildings all over the country, Naas, Athy and other places. He might land at training from the back of the lorry and arrive home just in time for bed to be up for 7am the next morning.

Tom still has a number of trophies from tournaments and other places. Tournaments were very important in those days. In 1954 Meath played Offaly in the Leinster final. Meath won but Tommy broke his leg. Meath won the All-Ireland, but Tommy missed out playing in the final. His medal has travelled the world worn by his daughter Mary when she took to stage. Tom played with the Meath seniors until the mid 1960's. He remembers a match against Longford in the early fifties in Croke Park with Michael O'Hare as commentator when he played really well at centre field.
In Kells in 1955, Meath won the Fitzsimons cup and in 1956 the John Player tournament which Meath won against Dublin. In 1957 Syddan won a Kells football tournament representing Meath. Tournaments were very important and Meath won the Gaelic weekly tournament in Kells in 1961, 1962 and 1963.

Meanwhile Tom played for Syddan in the senior final in 1952. Tom was 18 years and there was no trainer but life went on without one. Syddan were crowned Meath champions again in 1956 against Skyrne. Tom remembers scoring a goal in the first minute with his fist. Syddan beat Skyrne with a lot of O'Brien's playing for Skyrne.
Tom played club football until he was 47. In the 1960's Syddan got it hard to stay with the bigger parishes. When his sons Eamonn, Jimmy and Gerard came along Tommy played with some of them in the late 1970's. They reached a junior B semi-final, Tommy played with his son Jimmy but Kells beat them.

In 1980 Syddan were beaten by Walterstown in the senior final. In 1982 Tommy and this writer (Sean Ross) managed a junior team that beat Duleek in the final in Navan. Tommy pointed out that with challenge matches, that junior side played 26 matches including one against Maynooth seminary team in Maynooth, Co.Kildare. This was a most important win for the club after years of no trophies.

Syddan G.F.C took part in Scor competitions in the 1980's and 1990's. Tommy played the accordion for the ceili dancers and also played with the ballad group, Meath trophies were won and they also got to Leinster finals.
The Music side of Tommy's life is vast and continues to the present day. Tom first played for a group called the Shamrock, he also went around Ireland and England with his daughter Mary and Anthony Price, the group were called the Moonshiners. This was the beginning of Mary's career. After this the Tara Ceili band started with Paddy Reilly, Oliver Reilly and Frances Dunphy. Again he played both locally and outside the county and indeed outside Ireland places like Norwich, Gillingham, Manchester and North Wales were places Tom visited.

As regards the modern game, Tommy believes that there should be more long kicking. He wonders about all the players who appealed their sentences when sent off. He wonders about the Appeals Board. He believes that a camera should be introduced around the goals to decide important decisions as in rugby.
Tom's other hobbies include pitch and putt, darts and rings. He is extremely competitive and he has ringboard of medals for various sporting activities when he was over 50 years of age. Tom's interests in sport continue to the present day, and Syddan is proud of one of its great sportsmen.

Any person who is involved in sport for so long, perhaps over 60 years and still takes an interest in gaelic football and is learning new reels and polkas every day must stand out as a man of outstanding ability. Tweet

Most Read Stories