Iggy Jones
Irish Gaelic footballer
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Ignatius "Iggy" Jones (c. 1927 – 4 September 1992) was a Gaelic footballer who is now considered one of the greats of Tyrone football. He was part of the breakthrough Tyrone team that won back-to-back Ulster Championships in 1956 and 1957 – they had not won a championship prior to that. He also represented Ireland in an exhibition series versus the combined Universities.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | c. 1927 Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 4 September 1992 (aged 65) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | School Teacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Gaelic football | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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His main asset was his ability to solo run at great length, before setting up a team mate, or scoring himself.[1] Along with players such as Frankie Donnelly, he was one of the first generation of Tyrone players to make an impact on the All-Ireland stage.
He was listed by Eoghan Corry, in his book, The GAA Book of Lists, as one of eleven great players never to win an All-Ireland crown.[2]
He first made his name as a schoolboy in the first ever Hogan Cup final – an unorthodox place for a player to cement a reputation. He was playing for St. Patrick's, Armagh, against St. Jarliath's, Tuam. His personal scoring tally was 3–4, out of Armagh's 3–12, inspiring them to a four-point victory.[3]
His mark on the school's competition has been rewarded by having the MacRory Cup matches' Man of the Match award named after him.[4]
A schoolteacher, he served as Headmaster of Presentation Brothers, Dungannon. The "Iggy Jones Room" at O'Neill Park, in Dungannon, is named in his honour.[citation needed]
