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Shirley Armstrong-Duffy Family Life

Shirley Armstrong married Irish fencer, Patrick Joseph Duffy. He was born April 15, 1921, at the Rotunda  Hospital, Dublin. He was one of five kids to James Duffy and Kathleen Duffy. They lived on Common St, Dublin.

Shirley's husband learnt to fence in the Irish army and began competing in 1946. He won titles in the Sabree Epee and all weapons categories every year during 1947-52. He represented Ireland at the London (1948 and Helsinki (1952) Olympics. Afterwards, he became a professional under the tutelage of the French master Roger Crosnier.

He went on to become a coach at four successive Olympics from 1960-1972 and also coached the Finnish national team in 1959-1960. Shirley and Patrick Duffy founded The Irish Academy of Arms (Academie d'Armes d'Irlande) in 1952 and ran it successful in Dublin for years. Both were involved with fencing clubs at University College Dublin, Royal College of Surgeons and Trinity College Dublin. They helped to build it into a club which dominated fencing in Ireland and became one of the premier clubs in the country. In 1958, they were both heavily involved in the refounding of the International Academy of Fencing Masters and ran Salle D'armes for many years. He died October 18,1987 in Dublin. His memory was perpetuated in the professor Duffy team epee championship, an international competition hosted by TCD each year, after his death.

Shirley's brother in law Vincent Duffy was Irish foil champion in 1961. He and Shirley were both selectors for the Olympics Council of Ireland and proprietors of Salle Duffy, Trinity.

Death

Shirley died at the age of on December 21, 2018, in Roscommon University Hospital.

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