Flynn is ‘humbled’ by honour

“A LIVING sporting legend” was how Mayor of Clare Pat Daly described Colum Flynn, who was honoured with a civic reception by the County Council on Tuesday.

Well known for his involvement in boxing, the GAA and his treatment of sports injuries, he told The Clare Champion he was humbled by the occasion.

“It’s a great time to reflect on the years, you don’t get much time in the transience of the years but its lovely at a time like this to be able to reflect and it’s a great honour,” he said.

While he said he has a huge love of boxing, being involved with the Clare side who won the All-Ireland in 1995 was the greatest moment of his involvement in sport.

“The boxing was a labour of love for me always, and we had tremendous success down the years. Hundreds of young fellas passed through the halls and probably turned out better citizens for it. I have to say, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest moments of my sporting life were on September 3, 1995. I think most Clare men who have been involved in hurling would reflect on that as their moment,” he explained.

He was also involved with the Cyril Farrell-managed Galway sides which won two All-Irelands in the late-’80s, but he hadn’t expected he’d be with a Clare side who’d take Liam McCarthy.

“I always remember after winning the All-Ireland we were crossing the bridge in Athlone and Pheilim Murphy called me up and he said ‘I want you to walk across the bridge with us with the cup because Clare will do this someday.’ I really didn’t believe it at the time!”

With regard to boxing, a triumph almost 40 years ago stands out in his mind.

“Probably 1976 is a moment in time for me, our first national senior title. Ollie Markham had been knocking on the door for a few years and he finally made the breakthrough and made it onto the Irish team and won his Irish senior title.

“Subsequently we had Mike Queally who did the same, a great light heavyweight. He had won a youths title for us at heavyweight, but three years later he won the national senior and made it on to the Irish team. From there on there have been lots of great lads that have won Irish titles and been internationals,” Colum recalled.

The civic reception followed a proposal from Mayor Pat Daly and his fellow councillors Tony Mulqueen and James Breen.

Mayor Daly recalled hearing about Colum Flynn in the 60s.

“I remember my father was a selector with Clare in the 60s. I was only a young lad but I remember him coming home one time and saying there’s a guy called Colum Flynn who is bringing in new ideas and who knows his stuff,” he commented.

Councillor Mulqueen said that he and many others mightn’t be standing now, only for the assistance received from Colum, while Councillor James Breen recalled sparring with him many years before.

“I was a member of the boxing club, and I was there six weeks, and I thought I was going to be the next Cassius Clay. Colum said to me one night, ‘you’ve a bit of promise, we’ll have a go’. We put on the gloves, I was going great, hitting Colum at will and the next thing I got this sucker punch into the stomach and one onto the chin and I was turned upside down. I was lying flat on the ground, Colum was standing over me, and I think he said words to the effect ‘You’d want to toughen up lad’. I think after that night I knew I was going to be no Cassius Clay!”

Addressing the group, Colum said that he was very appreciative of the sacrifices that have been made by his wife Kay.

“A few of the councillors mentioned Kay, and Kay was a huge factor. I was extremely lucky to marry someone so tolerant and helpful and who was prepared to sacrifice a part of her life for my indulgence in sport in general.”

He acknowledged that he had been reluctant to get involved when Ger Loughnane approached him to come on board with the all-conquering Clare side of the ’90s, as he was so disillusioned by his experiences in the previous decade. I had worked through the ’60s and ’70s and into the ’80s, and I have to say in the latter part I just couldn’t do it any longer; I couldn’t put up with the shenanigans and the hypocrisy and everything that went with the running of the association in Clare and I got out. “I worked through ‘87 and ‘88 with Galway and thankfully we had great results. In the 90s I decided I had enough after four decades of it.

Ironically Pheilim Murphy, who was the Galway secretary at the time, had asked me if I’d approach Ger to come and take the Galway U-21 team. I met Ger and talked to him and he said he wouldn’t. He was under the same pressure as I was with the Clare County Board at the time. He said he’d stay on and would achieve something eventually.

“When he came to me in late ’94, he said ‘look, we’ll give it one last go and I think there’s a great, great chance that we might achieve something.’ I came back with him and I suppose the rest is history,” he reflected.

Colum said that his involvement in sport has given him fantastic times. “Sport can be cruel and it has been cruel and kind to all of us. My involvement, particularly in the boxing, spanning the years it did, is very, very memorable.”