GAA club bar manager Terry looks forward to retired life
By Aideen O'Flaherty
A POPULAR barman, who has been pulling pints behind the bar at Thomas Davis GAA Club in Kiltipper for over 20 years, celebrated his retirement in the clubhouse of the local GAA club last Friday.
Terry Carthy (73), from Aylesbury in Tallaght, has been heavily involved in the club since 1983, when he joined as a member after moving to the local area from his native Wicklow.
Terry with his wife Helen, and children Michael, Debbie, Lisa, and Linda
He has had various roles in the club since then, including being on the club committee and acting as a mentor to the teams.
He worked for many years behind the bar of the clubhouse in a voluntary capacity until 2007, when he retired from his work as a bricklayer.
Following his retirement from bricklaying, Terry was offered employment as the manager of the club’s bar and became a familiar and friendly face to the people in Thomas Davis over the years, and on Thursday he was behind the bar for the last time, with a party on Friday marking the beginning of his retirement.
When asked about what changes he’s seen in the club over the years, Terry told The Echo: “It’s gone from a club with 20 teams to one with about 70 teams – the size of the club has more than doubled with all of the kids who’ve moved into the area.
James, Tom, Andy, Declan, Colin and Brendan raise a glass to their friend Terry
“There are an awful lot of young people too, which is great for the future of the club.”
There was a full house at Terry’s retirement party, when club chairman Dominic Finnegan presented the barman with a retirement crystal from the club.
Harry, Dave, Tom, Luca, Terry and Craig
Dominic told The Echo: “Terry’s very good and very sociable. He always has a word for everyone, and he’s always had a lot of time for the younger members of the club.”
Reflecting on his time spent behind the bar, Terry said he’ll “miss the camaraderie with the customers, just having a bit of fun.”
Terry is now looking ahead to enjoying his retirement, where he hopes to play more golf and spend more time with his wife, Helen, and their children and grandchildren. He will continue to maintain his involvement in Thomas Davis.
