Eugene 'Nudie' Hughes RIP

By Cian O'Connell

The totemic former Monaghan footballer Eugene 'Nudie' Hughes has died, aged 67.

Widely regarded throughout the country, Hughes won three All-Stars in 1979, 1985, and 1989.

Hughes was a key figure in successful Ulster winning Monaghan teams, while also earning a National Football League medal in 1985.

During that splendid era for the county, Iar Ard-Stiúrthór CLG Pádraic Duffy served as a Monaghan GAA administrator and was part of Seán McCague's backroom team.

Hughes' rich contribution to Monaghan and Castleblayney Faughs is acknowledged by Duffy. From an early age, Hughes' considerable talent was evident. "I'm originally from Castleblayney, Nudie was on a juvenile team, U14 or U16 that I was involved in when I went back to teach at St MacCartans," Duffy explains.

"Even then, you could just see what a fantastic footballer he was. He had skills that were rare."

Duffy remembers winning a Monaghan Junior B Championship with an exciting and emerging Hughes as a key figure in the triumph. "Nudie was the star man - the young fella - he was 16 or 17 years old, so our claim to fame is that we played on a team and won a competition on the same team as Nudie Hughes," Duffy fondly recalls.

In the intervening decades, Hughes delivered for club and county. "For me, Nudie is the best Monaghan footballer I've ever seen," Duffy adds. "When you think about it, a player winning an All-Star as a corner back and a corner forward. I don't believe anyone else has ever done that, at two ends of the pitch."

GAA supporters enjoyed watching Hughes perform. "He could make the ball talk," Duffy remarks. "You'd go to football matches just to see him playing, he was an absolutely brilliant footballer. People who've never seen him play at his peak, they won't realise how good he was.

"He won All-Stars in two different positions and for Monaghan players All-Stars aren't easy won. He was just exceptional, right up until the end of his career. He could play football like nobody else.

"As a club player, Blayney achieved success when he was there. He was always the leader, that was just him."

Away from the pitch, Duffy will always value Hughes' willingness to help others. "Nudie was full of goodness and kindness," he reflects. "Nudie was just so good to people. It didn't matter how good a player you were or how bad you were, he was the same to everybody.

"He just loved being around people and doing good for other people. Being kind to other people just came naturally to him. He was an exceptional person, you don't meet too many like Nudie on the journey of life, in every way.

"With the illness, he defied medical science to live as long as he did. He has been ill for six or seven years, fighting this, in terms of the illness he had, it is amazing he lasted so long."

The stories about Hughes' sporting career will be passed through the generations. "Nudie loved life," Duffy says. "It is just so sad. Everybody loved him because he had time for everybody. He would listen and talk to people, he was full of stories. As a GAA person, he knew people from all over the country and people knew him.

"If you met Nudie once, it had an impact on you and you'd never forget him. He was an outgoing character with a smile. He was always in good form.

"I never met Nudie when he wasn't in good form, if he was in bad form after losing a game, he wouldn't be long cheering up again. That was just the nature of him. He'd lighten up anybody's day."

Nudie Hughes won't be forgotten.