Dorothy Dermody facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tommy |
| Born | 26 April 1909 Ballyhasty, Cloughjordan, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | 10 April 2012 (aged 102) Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland |
| Spouse(s) | Count Cyril McCormack |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Fencing |
Dorothy "Tommy" Dermody was an amazing Irish fencer. She was born on April 26, 1909, and lived until April 10, 2012. She competed in the women's individual foil event at the 1948 Summer Olympics. When she passed away at 102 years old, she was the oldest living Olympian from Ireland. She was also the oldest living Olympic fencer in the entire world!
Dorothy's Early Life
Dorothy Dermody was born on April 26, 1909. Her parents were William Dermody and Julia Rose Elizabeth Edith Mary (Evens) Dermody. She had two brothers, George and Ronald. Her father, William, was a ship's captain. Her mother, Julia, was known as Edith. The family was Protestant.
The Dermody family was quite wealthy. They lived in a large house and even owned a stable with horses. Dorothy loved spending time with the horses. She became very good at horse riding when she was young.
Dorothy spent much of her early life traveling with her father on his ship. However, there was a rule: only one female passenger was allowed on the ship. This spot was usually taken by Dorothy's mother. Because of this, Dorothy was given the nickname "Tommy," which stayed with her for most of her life.
Dorothy went to Ling College in Dublin. There, she studied Physical education. She was excellent at sports like fencing and diving. She also took part in many other sports. Later, Dorothy became a teacher at Alexandra College, a girls' school in Dublin.
Her Fencing Career
Dorothy Dermody was a talented athlete. She played lacrosse and squash at a national level. But she was especially good at diving and fencing. She even won national titles in both lacrosse and squash.
Dorothy was offered a chance to compete in the Olympics as a diver. However, she chose to compete in fencing instead. She took part in the 1948 Summer Olympics. These were the first Olympic Games held in 12 years because of World War II. Dorothy competed on July 31, 1948.
She was one of only five Irish women to compete in the 1948 Olympics. Dorothy was knocked out in the first round of the fencing competition. She finished last in her group.
Later Years and Legacy
After her career as a physical education teacher ended in 1958, Dorothy became the secretary of the Dublin Wine Society. In 1990, she became better known as "Tommy McCormack" after marrying Cyril Patrick McCormack. Cyril was the son of the famous singer John McCormack.
Dorothy was very active in getting more children involved in sports across Ireland. She even led a campaign to have a playground put into every school in Ireland. She also hosted a children's radio show about sports. On this show, she gave on-air swimming lessons with Seamus Kavanagh on RTÉ.
When Dorothy turned 100 years old, she received the Centurion Bounty award from the President of Ireland. She was also invited to a special lunch to celebrate her participation in the 1948 Summer Olympics. At this lunch, she was given an Olympic medal of honor. She sent her family to accept the award for her, as she could not attend.
Dorothy Dermody passed away on April 10, 2012, at the age of 102. She died at Killiney Grove Nursing Home. She was cremated and buried at Deansgrange cemetery. When she died, she was Ireland's oldest living Olympian. She was also the oldest living Olympic fencer in the world.
Dorothy Dermody was a true pioneer. She was the first female Olympic athlete for Ireland. Her participation in the Olympics inspired many other women to follow their dreams in sports. While teaching at Alexandra College, she taught P.E. to a future Olympian named Maeve Kyle. Maeve Kyle went on to become Ireland's first female track and field athlete to compete in the Olympics.
Maeve Kyle used Dorothy's example to argue for her own attendance at the games. Maeve competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Australia, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Italy, and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Japan. Maeve also won a bronze medal in the 400-meter race at the 1966 European Indoor Athletics Championship.
Dorothy Dermody left behind her son, John McCormack, and two daughters, Sylvia McCormack and Carol Ann McCormack. Carol Ann McCormack passed away one year later in 2013 and was buried in the same cemetery.
Images for kids
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This image shows the 800-meter race at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Maeve Kyle competed in this event, reaching the semi-final.
