‘Chick’ Gillen – boxing coach who turned boys into heroes

ONE of Galway’s iconic figures – former boxing trainer Michael John ‘Chick’ Gillen – sadly passed away after a long illness at the age of 87 last weekend. A much loved character, with a larger-than-life personality, the happy-go-lucky barber was regarded as a good natured and kind man: a man of the people.

To those outside the city and county, Chick may be best known as coach to former Irish Olympian fighter, Francis Barrett, and, indeed, the story of the two men’s association and friendship was beautifully captured in the 1999 documentary, ‘Southpaw’.

In his lifetime, Gillen was the subject of many newspaper, radio and TV features and interviews while his barber shop on Dominick Street, which he ran for over 50 years, was equally as renowned for hosting many a great discussion and debate – and not just on boxing and sport.

A Connacht lightweight champion in his youth, Chick never won an Irish championship, although he had the distinction of defeating several Irish title holders and former national champions in his career.

When he finally hung up his gloves in his early 30s, he turned his hand to coaching, first with Galway Boxing Club and, later, as a founding member of Olympic Boxing Club in the 1960s. It was here Chick trained over 40 national champions, including his most famous protégé, Francis Barrett.

“Chick was a legend, to be honest with you; he was very nice, you wouldn’t get no better,” Barrett told Tribune Sport his week. “He was always jolly. I went in to see him a couple of times (when he was sick) and every time I saw him it broke my heart. I got very upset at the time. I’d like to remember him the way he was.”

When he was 11 years old, Barrett was first introduced to Chick. These are his earliest memories of him. “Fr. Ned Crosby brought myself, Willie McDonagh and Tom Donovan to a tournament in Ennis; I didn’t know Chick before that. Anyway, he matched me up against a fellow who was about a foot and a half taller!

“I was a small little fat lad and the other lad was a skinny fellow, but I beat him by putting nothing but pressure on him. When Chick seen me boxing, he said make sure you come into the club on Monday – this was on Friday – and it kicked off from there.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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