Dublin University Fencing Club (DUFC) is the fencing club of Trinity College Dublin, 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.
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.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 This club, while initially hugely popular 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. 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.Trinity College Dublin, MUN/CLUB/DUCAC/41/2, Fencing Club History: D.U.F.C. established in 1936
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.Trinity College Dublin, D.U.C.A.C. Offices, Fencing Club Records, passim. 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.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]) Following his death in 1987, The Professor Duffy Memorial Team Épée tournament was inaugurated by D.U.Fencing Club. This competition is still run today and attracts teams from Germany, Italy and the U.K. regularly.
The club has maintained its status as a centre of excellence, consistently ranking at the top of the national club medal table in Ireland. 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.
The club has been awarded Trinity Sport's Club of the Year award twice, first in 2017 and again in 2025.
Captains Each year the club has a Club Captain who chairs the club committee and who also hold the relevant role of Men's or Women's Captain. There is also a second captain who holds the other Men's or Women's Captain role. +YearClub CaptainWomen's/Men's Captain2000/01Nat O'Connor2001/02Suzanne Clayton2002/03Ken Suzuki2003/04James Stratford2004/05Colm FlynnKate Harvey2005/06Aoife BrownColm Flynn2006/07Colin Couper2007/08Lachlan SykesMaria Treacy2008/09Louis ArronKate Harvey2009/10Declan GibbonsLiz Fitzgerald2010/11Alexander KellyHelen Naddy2011/12Edward MitchellHannah Lowry O'Reilly2012/13Conor TraynorClodagh McCarthy Luddy2013/14Maxton MilnerEmily Greenan2014/15Tadhg GartonRebecca Ryan2015/16Sean HealyOlivia Murray2016/17James BryantLucy Johnson2017/18Sam MitchellManon Nouvian2018/19Bethany RushDonncdha Carroll2019/20Stephen GroganDearbhaile Collins2020/21Angie ParissiLuke Dowling2021/22James ColeCrystal Percival2022/23Cathal MaguireIsabelle Clarke2023/24Adri HrabowychWilliam Mac Donald Hughes2024/25Katie LynchCathal Maguire2025/26Liam ZoneKatie Lynch2026/27Emma MurphyJames McCartney
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. Some of these members are listed below.
Patrick Duffy, competed at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics Harry Thuillier, competed in foil at the 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics Shirley Armstrong, competed in the women's individual foil event at the 1960 Summer Olympics Brian Hamilton, competed in the individual foil and team épée events at the 1960 Summer Olympics Colm Murrogh Vere O'Brien, competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics Natalya Coyle, competed at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Summer Olympics in the modern pentathlon
Competitions Hosted competitions D.U.Fencing Club hosts a number of competitions on an annual basis. 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.). Athletes in D.U.Fencing Club who have received pinks are listed below followed by the year of the award. Name of recipients Date Pinks awardedJ. M. StubbsFriday, November 21, 1952M. A. H. McCauslandTuesday, November 10, 1953Alistair Gordon TaylorMonday, May 17, 1954John Howard EnglishFriday, November 15, 1957Malcom Richard BoydFriday, June 19, 1959Brian Michael Carew HamiltonFriday, November 11, 1960Christopher Francis RyeSaturday, October 28, 1961John James Michael Laud RobinsonFriday, November 15, 1963Vernon Walter Fowler ArmstrongFriday, November 27, 1964Penelope Mary Johnston GreeneMonday, November 29, 1965Colm Murrough Vere O'BrienMonday, May 2, 1966Paul NicholsonMonday, November 27, 1967William Andrew Lambert HeatonWednesday, January 28, 1970Sean GillespieWednesday, May 10, 1972Richard George BoothFriday, May 14, 1976Nial Charles FergusonThursday, May 8, 1980Marcus Joseph AustinMonday, November 24, 1980Catherine Patricia RidgeWednesday, May 4, 1983Richard John MitchellThursday, May 3, 1984Mark DavisThursday, December 6, 1984Richard John MulkeenThursday, May 5, 1988Síle O'ConnorTuesday, December 4, 1990Paul John Thomas Bouchier-HayesWednesday, May 6, 1998Kate HarveyThursday, April 27, 2006David DelanyCahillThursday, February 28, 2008Colm Nouvian-FlynnThursday, February 28, 2008Kate HarveyThursday, February 28, 2008Lachlan SykesThursday, April 17, 2008Louis ArronWednesday, February 17, 2010Maria TreacyWednesday, February 17, 2010Hannah Lowry-O'ReillyFriday, March 11, 2011Maxton MilnerThursday, March 19, 2015Phillip CripwellTuesday, December 6, 2016Lucy JohnsonTuesday, December 6, 2016Camille Boelt HindsgaulMonday, March 26, 2018Tadhg GartonMonday, March 26, 2018Sam Mitchell Wednesday, May 1, 2019Ross ByrneWednesday, May 1, 2019Manon Nouvian-FlynnWednesday, December 9, 2020William Silvain Michael Mac Donald HughesTuesday, May 7, 2024Liam John Davidson ZoneWednesday, May 7, 2025Katie LynchWednesday, May 7, 2025Eoghan Ó hAnluain FayTuesday, May 5, 2026
References
External links
Official Website