Daly, Thomas (‘Tommy’) (1894–1936), hurler, was born 15 September 1894 at Tulla, Co. Clare, son of John Daly, a shopkeeper, and Sarah Daly (née Quinlan). He was educated at St Flannan's College, Ennig, Co. Clare. His love of Gaelic games and his innate talent as a hurling goalkeeper were nurtured at St Flannan's and at the famous Tulla GAA club. He made his name in the Clare county team that won the 1914 All-Ireland junior championship, beating Laois in the final 6–5 to 1–1, with Daly playing a superb game in goal. That year Clare also beat Laois in the senior All-Ireland final. It seemed only a matter of time before Daly would graduate to the senior side and help his team to glory, but he did not play for Clare again until 1930, and his county had to wait eighty-one years before it won the All-Ireland senior championship again.
In 1915 Daly went to UCD to study medicine and in due course qualified as a doctor. Until 1928 the GAA's rules stipulated that a player had to play for the county where he was resident, and Daly was obliged to play for Dublin. During this period the club which had won the county championship provided the backbone (and sometimes the full selection) of the county team. When he arrived at UCD Daly formed and developed the Collegians hurling club with John Regan, Con Stuart, and Frank Burke. The Collegians club comprised members of the combined colleges of Dublin: UCD, RCSI, St Patrick's Training College, Albert College, Glasnevin, and the veterinary college. They initiated a new era in hurling, winning the Dublin junior championship in 1915, Daly's first year at UCD, and the following year winning the Fitzgibbon cup and the Dublin senior championship, thus gaining control of the county team for 1917. In 1917 they won the Leinster title, beating Kilkenny, and followed this up with a victory over Tipperary in the All-Ireland final in which Daly gave a brilliant performance, stopping point-blank shots from Collison and Shelly of Tipperary. Six players from the Faughs club supplemented the Collegians panel in their run to All-Ireland glory. Collegians again won the Dublin senior championship in 1917, but were beaten by Wexford in the 1918 Leinster final. In 1919 they were defeated in the All-Ireland final by Cork, 6–4 to 2–4, but gained revenge in 1920, beating Cork 4–9 to 4–3. It was a testament to Daly's skill that he made the team in 1920, as Faughs had won the county championship in 1919 and controlled the selection of the team.
Collegians won the Fitzgibbon cup in 1923 and 1924. Daly was again in goal for Dublin in 1924, when he gained his third All-Ireland winners’ medal, Dublin beating Galway 5–3 to 2–6. This victory signalled the end of the Collegians’ dominance. Daly continued to play for Dublin but the backbone of the team was now nine players from the Garda team. In 1927 Dublin reached the All-Ireland final, in which they faced the reigning champions, Cork, who were hot favourites to win. This final became Daly's most celebrated game, as he made save after save and Dublin ran out convincing winners 4–8 to 1–3. At this stage he was recognised as the finest goalkeeper in the game. He played for the Leinster team that beat Munster in the first inter-provincial final on St Patrick's day 1927, and was on the Irish selection that beat America in the 1928 Tailteann games.
In 1928 the GAA amended its residency rules allowing non-residents to play for their native county. Thus Dublin, who had won the 1917 All-Ireland without a single Dublin-born player, were destroyed as a hurling power. In 1930 Daly returned from London, where he had been working for some years, to play for Clare. In 1932 he won the coveted Munster medal when Clare beat the reigning All-Ireland champions, Cork, in the Munster final. They beat Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final, but, despite a fine display from Daly, were beaten 3–3 to 2–3 by a Kilkenny team inspired by the great Lory Meagher (qv). Daly retired in 1933 from county hurling and became a referee, adjudicating in the 1935 All-Ireland final between Kilkenny and Limerick. He also helped to bring his native club Tulla back to the fore of Clare hurling when they won the county championship in 1933.
Daly died 21 September 1936 in a car accident near Tuamgraney, east Clare. He was unmarried. On his death the poet Bryan MacMahon (qv) composed a ballad to commemorate him.