Dublin University Fencing Club (DUFC) is the fencing club of

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, located in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. The club caters for

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ...

épée The ( or , ), sometimes spelled epee in English, is the largest and heaviest of the three weapons used in the sport of fencing. The modern derives from the 19th-century , a weapon which itself derives from the French small sword. This contain ...

and

sabre A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

. 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 ''(Sports Reference
/nowiki>)'' 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.

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 Patrick Duffy (born March 17, 1949) is an American actor and director widely known for his role on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'', where he played Bobby Ewing, the youngest son of Miss Ellie, and the nicest brother of J.R. Ewing (pla ...

, competed at the 1948 and

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics ( fi, Kesäolympialaiset 1952; sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1952), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad ( fi, XV olympiadin kisat; sv, Den XV olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952 ( sv, Helsin ...

Harry Thuillier Harry Thuillier (13 September 1922 – 26 April 2011) was an Irish fencer, table tennis international and broadcaster. He was educated at St. Vincent's C.B.S., Glasnevin. He competed in the individual foil events at the 1952 and 1960 Summer ...

, competed in foil at the 1952 and

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

Shirley Armstrong Shirley Armstrong-Duffy (14 August 1930 – 21 December 2018) was an Irish fencer. She competed in the women's individual foil event at the 1960 Summer Olympics for the Republic of Ireland. Biography Armstrong married Irish fencer, Patrick ...

, competed in the women's individual

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 The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

Natalya Coyle Natalya Coyle (born 11 December 1992) is an Irish athlete who competed in the modern pentathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics where she finished ninth and 2016 Summer Olympics where she finished sixth. She has qualified to represent Ireland at ...

, competed at the

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

and 2016 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 University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

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.

References

External links

Official Website

Official Twitter
{{University of Dublin, Trinity College

Fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...