Dorothy Dermody

Grave of Dermody's husband, Cyril Count McCormack, is buried at Deansgrange cemetery, along with tenor signer Count John McCormack.

Dorothy "Tommy" Dermody (26 April 1909 – 10 April 2012) was an Irish fencer from County Tipperary. She competed in the women's individual foil event at the 1948 Summer Olympics. When she died she was, at age 102, Ireland's oldest living Olympian and the oldest living Olympic fencer in the world.

Family life Dorothy Dermody was born on 26 April 1909, the daughter of William Dermody and Julia Rose Elizabeth Edith Mary (Evens) Dermody.

She was the sister of George William Victor Dermody (born 22 January 1901 in County Tipperary) and Ronald Desmond Dermody (born 18 May 1905 in Kilmullen, County Laois). Her father, William, was born in about 1865 in Ireland and was a ship's captain. Julia was born in about 1877 in England to timber merchant George Evans and his wife Emma. She was known by her middle name Edith. The family were Protestant. They moved to County Tipperary circa 1889 and settled in Garraunorish. They lived in Ballyhasty, though William was frequently away on voyages, with Julia occasionally joining him. In 1901, she was staying at her parents' home with her son George.

Dermody's husband, Cyril Patrick McCormack was born on 27 March 1907 in 27 Mountjoy Square, Dublin, Ireland. He was the son of John McCormack and Elizabeth Foley. He died in 1990 in County Dublin.

Early life Dermody spent most of her early life travelling with her father on board his ship. However, due to rules the ship was only allowed 1 female passenger which was taken by Dorothy's mother. This is how she adopted the nickname "Tommy" which stuck with her for most her life. Where she studied Physical education and excelled in sports like fencing and diving but also participated in other sports. Dorothy was also a mistress at Dublin's fee-paying girls school, Alexandra College. Dermody competed on 31 July 1948.

Later life and death Dermody was a secretary of the Dublin Wine Society in her later years, after her career as a physical education teacher came to an end in 1958. In 1990 Dermody became better known as "Tommy McCormack".

Dermody was involved in many projects to get more children involved in sport and be more active across Ireland. She once led a campaign to have a playground put in to every school in Ireland. She hosted a children's radio show programme that talked about sports, in particular she hosted on-air swimming lessons on RTÉ with Seamus Kavanagh. Dermody received the Centurion Bounty award for reaching 100 years of age from the President of Ireland. Dermody was invited to a lunch to be celebrated for her participation in the 1948 Summer Olympics. At this lunch she was awarded an Olympic medal of honour, she sent her family to receive this award on her behalf as she was unable to attend. She was cremated and interred at Deansgrange cemetery at St. Patrick's Plot. When she died she was Ireland's oldest living Olympian and the oldest living Olympian fencer in the world. Kyle was able to argue her attendance of the games by bringing up Dermody's attendance of the 1948 Olympics as an example of a female attending the games. Additionally Kyle competed in European Athletic Championships and won a bronze medal in the 1966 European Indoor Athletics Championship for the 400 meter race.

When Dermody died at the age of 102, she left a son John McCormack and two daughters Sylvia McCormack and Carol Ann McCormack. Carol Ann McCormack died one year later in 2013, and was buried in the same cemetery.