Former Cavan Gael and New York City publican, Steve Duggan, has passed away in the United States. News broke of his passing in Florida in the New York media first where he is being remembered by the Cavan diaspora and music lovers alike.
Steve opened Paddy Reilly's Irish Music Bar on 2nd Avenue in 1986. Cavan people will remember him best though as the speedy county right-half forward from Ballyhaise and as the co-owner of the Cavan Sports Centre Ballroom who booked names like Dickie Rock and Joe Dolan and other showband greats in the 1970s. Steve Duggan, who was in his 70s when he passed, won two Ulster Championship titles with Cavan and was also selected to play for Ulster in 1970 and 1971 winning Railway Cup medals in the process.
Well-wishers on social media have all attested to the home Steve gave struggling Irish music acts as well as anyone from Cavan who found themselves on the mean streets of New York in need of a helping hand or familiar Cavan welcome. Over the years, Steve counted Naomi Campbell, Brad Pitt, Kiefer Sutherland, Christy Turlington, Jimmy Fallon and Conor McGregor among his patrons at Paddy Reilly's which he opened with the famous Dubliner of the same name.
Ray Carolan, who ran the Sports Centre Ballroom with Steve remembers the footballer and entertainments man fondly. On football, Ray says he was known for "his pace, his solo and his pace, for sure. He'd leave backs standing, " Ray told Northern Sound, "and his side-step; he was a formidable player." On the entertainment front, Ray Carolan said "He was also a business mate of mine. We owned the Sports Centre Ballroom in Cavan for years running dances and all that so, I would've known him well on the business end. He would've booked all the bands for the Sports centre and they would've been the very top bands from Dickie Rock, Brendan Bowyer, Joe Dolan - all those, y'know".
