Paddy Buggy

Paddy Buggy (15 March 1929 – 15 May 2013) was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Slieverue and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1949 until 1960. Buggy later served as the 27th President of the Gaelic Athletic Association from 1982 until 1985.^[1]

Playing career

Club

Born in Slieverue, County Kilkenny, Buggy played his club hurling with his local Slieverue club. He won one senior county title with the club in 1954.

Inter-county

Buggy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny senior team in the late 1940s. He made his championship debut in 1949 and won his first Leinster the following year in 1950. Kilkenny later played Tipperary in an unexciting final which Tipp won by a point. Three years later in 1953 Buggy won a second Leinster medal; however, Kilkenny were later defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1957 Buggy won his third Leinster title before lining out in his second All-Ireland final. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion in an exciting championship decider. Waterford led by six points with fifteen minutes to go, however, Kilkenny stormed back with two quick goals to win the game by a point giving Buggy a coveted All-Ireland medal. The following year he won a fourth Leinster title before being later beaten by Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1959 Buggy won his fifth Leinster title before lining out in a third All-Ireland final. Once again Waterford provided the opposition, however, the game ended in a draw. In the replay it was the Déise who emerged victorious by seven points. Buggy retired from inter-county hurling in 1960.

Provincial

Buggy also won a Railway Cup medal with Leinster in 1954.

Post-playing career

Buggy's administrative career started with his tenure as secretary of the Slieverue club. The next steps up the administrative ladder were with the Southern Board and the Kilkenny County Board. Buggy later served as Chairman of the Leinster Council and was elected President of the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1981. As president he presided over the centenary celebrations of the organisation in 1984 and was generally regarded as an able administrator, particularly close to the grass-root membership.

Buggy also managed the Leinster team to five consecutive Railway Cup victories from 1971 until 1975.

Very proud of his native roots, Buggy was vociferous in the campaign to keep Slieverue in County Kilkenny amid moves to have it incorporated into the expanding City of Waterford as a suburb on the northern bank of the river Suir.

He died on 15 May 2013, aged 84.^[1][2][3]

References