Paddy Buggy

Born in Slieverue, County Kilkenny, Buggy played his club hurling with his local Slieverue club. He won one senior county title with the club in 1954.

Buggy first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Kilkenny senior team in the late 1940s. He made his championship debut in 1949 and won his first Leinster the following year in 1950. Kilkenny later played Tipperary in an unexciting final which Tipp won by a point. Three years later in 1953 Buggy won a second Leinster medal; however, Kilkenny were later defeated by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1957 Buggy won his third Leinster title before lining out in his second All-Ireland final. Waterford provided the opposition on that occasion in an exciting championship decider. Waterford led by six points with fifteen minutes to go, however, Kilkenny stormed back with two quick goals to win the game by a point giving Buggy an All-Ireland medal. The following year he won a fourth Leinster title before being later beaten by Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1959 Buggy won his fifth Leinster title before lining out in a third All-Ireland final. Once again Waterford provided the opposition, however, the game ended in a draw. In the replay it was the Déise who emerged victorious by seven points. Buggy retired from inter-county hurling in 1960.

Buggy also won a Railway Cup medal with Leinster in 1954.

Buggy was officially nominated as the Kilkenny candidate for President of the GAA in January 1981. He also received the backing of Offaly and Wicklow. In the election in Killarney on 29 March 1981, he defeated Mick Loftus, the Chairman of the Connacht Council, by 145 votes to 136 and was elected on the fifth count. As president he presided over the centenary celebrations of the organisation in 1984 and was generally regarded as an able administrator, particularly close to the grass-root membership.