Friends of the late Cornelius 'Corney' Duffy remember an amazing man with a big heart.
By Brian Canty
The Irish cycling community is mourning the loss of Donegal man Cornelius Duffy, who died last night after a long illness.
Known to his family, friends and teammates as ‘Corney’, he passed away at St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, Dublin, and leaves behind his wife Lara and daughter Aoife.
The news of his passing emerged this afternoon, Thursday, on the Irish Mountain Bike Racing Club website; a club that counted him as a highly-valued member.
“It is with deep sadness that we learn of the passing yesterday evening or our beloved friend and club member Corney with his family by his side,” read the message.
“Corney was such a legend and always a true gent. He fought his illness with dignity, courage and humour.
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“Corney will be very deeply missed by his family, friends, club members and the wider cycling community. Our thoughts are with his family.
“RIP our friend Corney, we will spin again someday xx”.
One club member, Ben Merchant, remembered a close friend who was hugely strong on the bike and giving and good humoured off it.
“He was a good buddy of mine and an excellent member of the club,” said Merchant.
“We’d have ridden together a lot, he was a great guy.”
Corney had been fighting an inoperable brain tumour for 3½ years but it never let him affect him, not outwardly anyway, said Merchant.
“He was always surrounded by fantastic people, most notably his family,” he added.
“Corney was a big man, over six foot and just a pure powerhouse in every sense of the word.
“He did loads of 24 hour races in Ireland and the UK and I’ll always remember one; the Gaelforce West I think round one about five years ago.
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“We actually won that; myself, Corney and another guy Gareth Maguire. But Corney was our rock.
“He was our anchor leg and no matter how bad me and Gareth did, we knew Corney was going to pull it out of the bag.
“Another race up in Fort William in Scotland we did, called the Relentless 24, brings back good memories of Corney.
“We were going to be 13 hours in darkness riding through the night but travelling up there Corney got a bout of food poisoning and we didn’t think he could make it.
“We thought he’d never race, but even after an 8-hour haul up to the race start he was ready for battle and actually put in the fastest lap. He was some man.”
Merchant said Corney was about as good a club member as one could hope to have.
“He had a Garda qualification for MTB so he could teach groups and guide,” he added.
“He had wilderness first aid and mountain rescue experience and was very involved in beginner spins.
“In fact, any events that were on he’d have volunteered. If there was help needed he showed up with a smile on his face and a shovel on his back.
“He wasn’t even on the committee but he was up for everything. He never stopped smiling.
“You’d be in a race licking the tyre and he’d come along beside you smiling and paint you to the pavement.”
Funeral arrangements
Reposing at St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown, west Dublin, this evening (Thursday) from 4pm to 8pm.
Reposing at Fitzgerald’s Chapel of Rest tomorrow from 5pm to 7pm.
Removal on Saturday on to St. Maur’s Church, Rush arriving for 11am Mass followed by cremation in Glasnevin Crematorium.
No flowers please donations to St. Francis Hospice. Donation box at church.
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