Dublin University Fencing Club

Dublin University Fencing Club (DUFC) is the fencing club of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, located in Dublin, Ireland. The club caters for foil, épée and sabre. Its members are students, alumni and staff from Trinity College with a small amount of visiting fencers from other clubs.

Dublin University Fencing Club
Founded1774 (1774)
Reconstituted1936
LocationDublin, Ireland,
PresidentRory Greenan
Head CoachDr. Colm Flynn[1]
CaptainStephen Grogan[1]
Websitewww.trinityfencing.ie
Club colours        

Early history

In 1730, a group of students from Trinity College formed a Gentleman's Club of the Sword, or the Gentleman's Society of the Sword as it has also been called.[2][3] This club, while initially hugely popular[3] fell out of use by the last quarter of the 18th century. In 1774, Provost John Hely-Hutchinson formally established fencing in Trinity by employing a fencing-master and designating the Senate House specifically for this purpose.[4] With the further decline of duelling throughout the 18th and no record of the club throughout the 19th century, it is not until the formation of the modern D.U. Fencing Club in 1936 that the sport was reestablished in the college.[5]

Present status

Since its foundation, DUFC has grown vastly. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, membership was about fifty fencers in general with an Intervarsities team of 8.[6] In contrast, the 2009/2010 season saw intake of approximately 300 new members with an Intervarsities contingent of 24 competing, with similar numbers maintained in the club since.

The club's most decorated coach, Professor Patrick Duffy, coached the club from 1952 until 1987.[7] Following his death in 1987, The Professor Duffy Memorial Team Épée tournament was inaugurated by D.U.Fencing Club.[5] This competition is still run today and attracts teams from Germany, Italy and the U.K. regularly.[8]

The club has maintained its status as a centre of excellence, consistently ranking at the top of the national club medal table in Ireland.[9] During the 2017/18 season, Dublin University Fencing Club became part of the Trinity Sport high performance programme, giving its first team access to additional strength and conditioning coaching, physiotherapy, anti-doping and nutritional expertise.

Notable alumni

Since the formation of the modern club, a number of members have gone on to represent the club and their country in both fencing and the modern pentathlon.[10] Some of these members are listed below.

Competitions

Hosted competitions

D.U.Fencing Club hosts a number of competitions on an annual basis.[12] Events currently hosted are listed below:

  • The Professor Duffy Memorial Team Épée
  • Trinity Cup
  • Trinity Team Foil
  • Dublin Épée

The Colours Match

Known colloquially as Colours, The Colours Match (the fencing equivalent of its rugby counterpart) is hosted yearly between Dublin University and University College Dublin with each club cycling hosting privileges yearly.

Honours

Pinks

Pinks are awarded for outstanding service to a sports club, usually with regard to representative honours, by the Central Athletic Club (D.U.C.A.C.).[13] Athletes in D.U.Fencing Club who have received pinks are listed below followed by the year of the award.[6]

Name of recipients Date Pinks awarded
J. M. Stubbs Friday, November 21, 1952
M. A. H. McCausland Tuesday, November 10, 1953
Alistair Gordon Taylor[14] Monday, May 17, 1954
John Howard English Friday, November 15, 1957
Malcom Richard Boyd Friday, June 19, 1959
Brian Michael Carew Hamilton[15] Friday, November 11, 1960
Christopher Francis Rye Saturday, October 28, 1961
John James Michael Laud Robinson[16] Friday, November 15, 1963
Vernon Walter Fowler Armstrong Friday, November 27, 1964
Penelope Mary Johnston Greene Monday, November 29, 1965
Colm Murrough Vere O'Brien[17] Monday, May 02, 1966
Paul Nicholson[18] Monday, November 27, 1967
William Andrew Lambert Heaton Wednesday, January 28, 1970
Sean Gillespie Wednesday, May 10, 1972
Richard George Booth Friday, May 14, 1976
Nial Charles Ferguson Thursday, May 08, 1980
Marcus Joseph Austin Monday, November 24, 1980
Catherine Patricia Ridge Wednesday, May 04, 1983
Richard John Mitchell Thursday, May 03, 1984
Mark Davis Thursday, December 06, 1984
Richard John Mulkeen Thursday, May 05, 1988
Síle O'Connor Tuesday, December 04, 1990
Paul John Thomas Bouchier-Hayes Wednesday, May 06, 1998
Kate Harvey Thursday, April 27, 2006
David DelanyCahill Thursday, February 28, 2008
Colm Flynn Thursday, February 28, 2008
Kate Harvey Thursday, February 28, 2008
Lachlan Sykes Thursday, April 17, 2008
Louis Arron Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Maria Treacy Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Hannah Lowry-O'Reilly Friday, March 11, 2011
Maxton Milner Thursday, March 19, 2015
Phillip Cripwell Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Lucy Johnson Tuesday, December 06, 2016
Camille Boelt Hindsgaul Monday 26 March 2018
Tadhg Garton Monday 26 March 2018
Sam Mitchell Wednesday 1 May 2019
Ross Byrne Wednesday 1 May 2019
gollark: Dying would not maximize bee density.
gollark: Why would that affect my decision-making?
gollark: And?
gollark: Yes, I would not in the future care about said world-states, due to being dead. However, now, I care about those future worldstates, and it would be stupid to do something which would prevent me affecting them.
gollark: Well, future worldstates.

References
  1. "Information on Fencing Clubs Ireland". Fencing Ireland Club list.
  2. Trevor West : the bold collegian. Heaney, Seamus. Dublin, Ireland. 2016. ISBN 9781843516767. OCLC 972342388.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Trinity College Dublin, D.U.C.A.C. Offices, Fencing Club Records: a clipping from an unknown 1992 newspaper, article entitled ‘Fencing mad’, also discussed the Gentleman’s Club of the Sword and comments on popularity
  4. Duigenan, Patrick (1777). Lachrymae academicae: or, The present deplorable state of the College of the holy and undivided Trinity, of Queen Elizabeth, near Dublin. Printed for the author. p. 109.
  5. Trinity College Dublin, MUN/CLUB/DUCAC/41/2, Fencing Club History: D.U.F.C. established in 1936
  6. Trinity College Dublin, D.U.C.A.C. Offices, Fencing Club Records, passim.
  7. Trinity College Dublin, D.U.C.A.C. Offices, Fencing Club Records: 1988 promotional material for the Professor Duffy Memorial Team Épée event gives these details; confirmed by Sports Reference ([https://web.archive.org/web/20200419222241/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ Sports Reference])
  8. "Prof. Duffy Memorial Team Épée, January 2010". Dublin University Fencing Club News Archive.
  9. "Fencing Ireland Results". Fencing Ireland.
  10. "Olympic Representation by Trinity Students". Trinity College Dublin.
  11. Burke's peerage, baronetage and knightage. Mosley, Charles. (107th ed.). Stokesley: Burke's Peerage & Gentry. 2003. ISBN 0971196621. OCLC 52621466.CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. "List all Dublin University Fencing Club events". Fencing Ireland Calendar.
  13. "Role of Captains Committee in awarding pinks". Trinity Sport.
  14. "List of Pinks recipients: p1" (PDF). Trinity News Archive.
  15. "List of Pinks recipients" (PDF). Trinity News Archive.
  16. "List of pinks recipients: p8" (PDF). Trinity News Archive.
  17. "Article on pinks recipients" (PDF). Trinity News Archive.
  18. "Article on Pinks recipients" (PDF). Trinity News Archive.
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