Farewell Flash
TRIBUTES PAID TO LOCAL SPORTS LEGEND TOM DUNNE
ENNISCORTHY lost one of its sporting legends with the passing of Tom ‘Flash’ Dunne last week.
News of Mr Dunne’s death on Wednesday was met with widespread sadness and tributes soon flowed from sports clubs within the town and far beyond.
Enniscorthy United, with which Mr Dunne played, managed teams and served on the committee, said he would be ‘remembered as a great player’, a sentiment echoed by Ajax Athletic AFC, a club which Mr Dunne helped to found.
The Wexford Football League perhaps summed up the enormous regard in which Mr Dunne was held when it said: ‘Wexford has lost a true legend of the beautiful game. A great ambassador for all strands of our game.’
Mr Dunne’s requiem Mass took place on Friday in Enniscorthy and a public memorial to celebrate his life will be held at a later date.
THERE was great sadness experienced in Enniscorthy and across County Wexford following the passing of Tom ‘Flash’ Dunne, from Enniscorthy.
Within sports circles he was regarded as a legend, especially within the world of soccer.
Mr Dunne, who was affectionately known as ‘Flash’ by everyone who knew him, passed away peacefully in the loving care of the nurses and staff in St John’s Hospital, Enniscorthy, on Wednesday.
His requiem Mass took place on Friday in Enniscorthy and a public memorial to celebrate his life will be held at a later date.
His passing was met with numerous tributes from sports organisations across the county which underlined the extremely high regard in which he was held by everyone who knew him.
Social media pages belonging to various clubs posted tributes to a man who was an iconic figure within soccer in Wexford and a gentleman off the field.
A post from Enniscorthy United highlighted the fact Mr Dunne played with club, managed teams and also served on the club’s committee.
‘He will be remembered as a great player in his day,’ said the club in its post.
In expressing condolences to his family, another Enniscorthy club, Ajax Athletic AFC, also paid tribute to Mr Dunne and said his legacy remains and is continuous ‘ throughout generations’.
The club, for which Mr Dunne also played during his soccer career, described him ‘a great player and a teacher to many’.
The statement acknowledged the strong links between Mr Dunne and the club and highlighted that he was one of the founder members of the organisation.
Mr Dunne also served on the Wexford Women’s League committee in addition to being a county manager at underage and senior level.
He was also a referee and manager of a number of clubs within the league, which also acknowledged his passing by highlighting that he was ‘a great supporter of the women’s and schoolgirls game in general’.
North End United FC said Mr Dunne was ‘a legend of Wexford soccer and a great friend and foe of the club both on and off the field’.
Other people who posted online tributes described Mr Dunne as being ‘one of the most talented players to ever play football in the Wexford League’. Another person said he was ‘probably the best midfielder I have ever played against; haven’t seen any better since’.
Deputy Johnny Mythen, expressed his sympathies to the his relatives and friends and: ‘Enniscorthy has lost a true local sporting legend.’
The Wexford Football League, perhaps, summed up the enormous regard in which Mr Dunne was held when it said: ‘Wexford has lost a true legend of the beautiful game. A great ambassador for all strands of our game.’
Organisations outside of the soccer also paid tribute to Mr Dunne with Treacy’s Hotel Golf Society posting that the society was ‘ heartbroken over the loss of our true friend’.
A beloved husband of the late Margaret Dunne, he was predeceased by his sons Thomas and Gerard, his daughter, Deborah.
He is survived by his son, Martin, A full obituary tribute to Tom ‘Flash’ Dunne will appear in next week’s edition of the Enniscorthy Guardian.