PADDY DRUMMOND (1912-1995).
On this day twenty five years ago (13th January 1995) Paddy Drummond, one of the Club’s outstanding players (both codes) and administrators, passed away at the age of 82.
He was still a teenager when he won his first Senior Co. Championship medals in 1931 – winning both Hurling and Football that season when the Club did the double for the second time in three years (they also did the double in 1928). He then went on to win two more Football Championships in 1932 and 1936. In total he made 33 SF Championship appearances during his sixteen seasons as a player (1931-1946).
With his playing days over he served the Club in many capacities including Co. Board delegate and Club Chairman for two two-year spells (1947-48 and 1955-56). At Co. Board level he served for a period as Vice Chairman and was Kerry’s Munster Council delegate also.
Outside of the Club he continued to play a prominent role in GAA affairs.
He was one of the founding members of Vocational Schools Football in 1960 and was the Association’s first President. He was Principal of Listowel Vocational School until his retirement in 1976 . Following the reorganisation of post primary schools football, Paddy’s contribution was formally recognised by the naming of the All Ireland Schools B competition trophy in his honour. To this day the ‘Paddy Drummond Cup’ is the annual curtain raiser in Croke Park for the Hogan Cup final.
Here in Austin Stacks as part of our end of year celebrations the Paddy Drummond Cup is presented to the U10 Boys Player of the Year.
It was Paddy’s father, Ned Drummond (1878-1958), who composed that famous poem ‘The Boys from the Top of the Rock (see p17 of Centenary Book). His brother Tadgh was also a prominent dual player and then the next generation was represented by his nephew, Tadgh McMahon, who was also a player and Club administrator (Club Chairman 1976 and member of Executive until very recently and of course one of the co-authors of our Centenary Book).
Today the third and fourth generation of Paddy’s family are heavily involved in Club affairs – his grandnephew Tim McMahon as long-serving Juvenile Chairman and mentor of many Juvenile and Minor team, his grandniece Elma Nix long-serving Club Secretary and keeper of our Club website – and the 4th generation, club footballer Ciara Nix, who does outstanding work at all of our Senior games with her excellent on-the-spot twitter reports.