This article is from page 10 of the 2013-01-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
THE Banner County’s very own Mr Boxing, Colum Flynn, is set to be honoured with a civic reception by Clare County Council.
The motion to honour Mr Flynn was proposed at yesterday’s meeting of the local authority.
It was jointly tabled by councillors James Breen (Ind), Tony Mulqueen (FG) and Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly (FF).
The motion stated, “That this council award a civic reception to Colum Flynn, for his life-long dedication to boxing in this county.”
Cllr Breen told the meeting that Mr Flynn has made a massive contribution to sport in Clare over the past 40 years. These sentiments were echoed by Cllr Daly, who said, “He has done great work for boxing and GAA and he highly deserves this honour.”
Mr Flynn was a founding member of Ennis Boxing Club in 1961.
Along with long-time coach, Ollie Markham, Mr Flynn has helped to nurture the talent of generations of Clare boxers. Munster titles arrived in 1964 but success on the national stage eluded Ennis.
Speaking in 2011, as the club celebrated its 50th anniversary, Mr Flynn recalled the success the club enjoyed in the 1970s.
He said, “We’d never won an Irish title and in 1976 we made a breakthrough in Castlebar in the juvenile championships, we won the heavyweight – Mike Queally.
“Mike Daly, as well, from Cloughleigh, he was a great bit of stuff. He won three titles in succession.
“Then Ollie crowned it when he won the senior middleweight title. He had three or four internationals as well. That was the year it took off and we thought it would never end.”
Success didn’t always flow like it did in 1976 but there were some good days all the same. Ollie’s son, Trevor, won seven Irish titles on the trot in the early ‘90s.
The club paved the way for the formation of Clare County Boxing Board. Boxing flourished around the county, with clubs starting up in Kilkishen, Tulla, Sixmilebridge, Shannon and Ennistymon.
Mr Flynn fell in love with boxing at an early age, after watching Muhammad Ali fight in the 1960 Olympics.
Well known from his involvement with the Clare senior hurling team, Mr Flynn was present in the Civic Room of Ennis Town Council when Ali was named the first ever-honorary freeman of Ennis.