DUBLIN CAMOGIE GREAT and nine-time All-Ireland winner Betty ‘Gerry’ Hughes has died.
Another Sky Blue star to play in the golden era of Dublin camogie, the news of Hughes’ passing comes just two weeks after Hughes’ former team-mate, Úna O’Connor, died.
Inchicore native Hughes made her debut in 1954, and went on to captain the side twice in 1961 and 1962 before calling time on her career in ’63.
‘Gerry’ played for the great CIE club in Inchicore.
The individual inter-county senior All-Irelands came back-to-back in ’54 and ’55 — Dublin also won in ’53 to make it three-in-a-row — and while Antrim stopped the Jackies in their tracks in 1956, they continued their winning trail thereafter.
A strong defender, Hughes made a wonderful gesture in ’61 as the All-Ireland winning captain when she asked the legendary Kay Mills to accept the O’Duffy Cup. It was known that it would be Mills’ last match, and she landed her 15th All-Ireland senior medal that day.
13-time All-Ireland winner O’Connor took over the captaincy after Hughes retired. The late Marino woman is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and was named on the Camogie Team of the Century.
In December 2018, Hughes was honoured by The Echo with an award marking her part in Dublin’s great era. Surrounded by family and former team-mates, she was given a standing ovation on an emotional night.
The death notice of Betty Davis (née Gerry Hughes) can be found here and Dublin Camogie’s tribute is here.
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