Sad to tell people about the passing of former Dunderry star Tommy Dowd, senior

His son Tommy was of course the captain of our 1996 All Ireland winning team while younger son Kevin (Ted ) has also donned the county jersey and has acted as a manager, selector and player in both codes.

Tommy senior first came under the spotlight with parish underage teams. By the age of 16 he had cemented a regular place on a strong Dunderry junior outfit.

Come the mid nineteen sixties he was good enough to line out with the Royals in the Leinster SFC. Unfortunately lack of work in these shores forced the Dunderry man to make London his new home. There he became involved with the Parnells club.

A different piece of misfortune also came knocking for Tommy during his spell in the English capital when in 1970 Dunderry swept to Meath intermediate championship honours without  their prolific marksman.

However there were other compensations as the London selectors recognised the attacking qualities of the Parnells ace and Tommy Dowd can boast of two All Ireland junior medals.

Those were the days when counties could choose their second strongest outfit for the junior grade and it was much more competitive than that on offer in recent times.

With Tommy in his favourite number 15 jersey Kildare were beaten 1-12 to 0-9 in 1970 and Dublin outscored 1-9 against 0-9 the following year. 

Tommy was back home in 1971 and from his full forward position played an important role in Dunderry's trek to the Meath SFC semi final. Dunderry were creating great waves on our local championship that summer and one local reporter commented that '' one thousand people supported  them '' wherever they took the field of play.

Unfortunately Skryne proved that little stronger than the men in black and white on that penultimate day.

In later years Tommy was so proud of the achievements of his sons that he painstakingly recorded all their achievents by means of scrapbooks. And there must have been many scrapbooks. 

He also had a great love for the sport of boxing and was an acknowledged expert on the subject. And then there was his taste for music.

People able to recall the Meath football scene of the 1960/70's describe Tommy Dowd as very much a county player. He could have been involved in 1966/7 and 70. 

One very well known Dunderry club official and former star and teammate, he wants to remain anonymous, added. ''Tommy Dowd was a great footballer, a brilliant footballer. He was not a big man but he was the best man that I have ever seen to jump for a high ball and catch it clean on his chest and come down with it''.

And as they say the ability and interests in all things GAA that sons Tommy and Kevin possess '' was not licked off the grass''.

Dunderry village will be all the poorer without the presence of this quiet, humble neighbour. 

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dhilis.

Tommy's passing and funeral details as per the RIP.ie website are

Peacefully in the loving care at St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, surrounded by his loving family. Sadly, missed by his loving wife Ethna, sons Tommy and Kevin, daughters Catherine and Caroline, brother Jimmy, sister Marie, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and a wide circle of friends.

Reposing at his son Kevin’s home (private). Tommy’s funeral cortège will leave from Kevin’s home on Wednesday morning, 10th March, arriving at The Church of Assumption, Dunderry, for 11am Funeral Mass, with burial afterwards in Dunderry Cemetery.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions the Funeral Mass will be private. The Mass will be streamed live via https://www.facebook.com/MuldoonMurphyKells/

Condolence notices may be left in the below condolence book.

A recording of the service can be viewed via YouTube on Wednesday afternoon at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr5HULU03mHQY_IQUkHVGgQ

House strictly private, please, family flowers only, donations, if desired, to St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown.

To sign the Condolence Book  click here

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