Mick Flannelly

Mick came from a sporting family. His father, Matt, was a Mayo man who moved to Tuam, Co Galway in 1902. Whilst there he won 6 county Galway senior football championships and then, having moved to Galway in 1910 he won a further 3 football championships. Between 1908 and 1920 he was a regular member of the Galway inter-county team and played in the All-Ireland final in 1919 when Galway lost to Kildare. He had played handball as a means of getting fit for football and after he moved to Waterford in 1920 continued with both games. In 1925, however, he decided to concentrate more on handball and in that year, partnered by Mick Batterberry, contested the All-Ireland senior doubles final. In 1928 he won his All-Ireland medal when he won the Junior singles championship for Waterford. That year, in company with Jack Flavin, they reached the All-Ireland senior doubles final only to be narrowly beaten. Matt had also played football during his handball years - with Ballytruckle at first and then Gracedieu. He played his last football game in 1933 - thirty years after he first graced the football fields of Galway.

Matt had five sons, Patsy, Matt jnr, Jim, Mick and Joe and all played with distinction for Mount Sion. Patsy won a county junior football medal in 1939 before illness struck and claimed his young life. In 1944 Matt and Jim figured in a losing display for the Mount Sion minor team that lost narrowly to a Dungarvan team that set up a seemingly unbeatable record of five minor crown in a row. In 1945 Jim and Joe were on the Mount Sion team that beat Cappoquin for the title. The age limit claimed Jim the next year but Mick and Joe remained together in 1946-48. Joe was there again in 1949 when he achieved a feat that is probably unequalled in Ireland - a fifth successive county minor medal. In 1950, without any Flannelly, Mount Sion won a sixth county minor title in succession, thereby breaking Dungarvan's unbeatable record.

Every Gaelic family has its star and it is no reflection on his brothers to say that the brightest star in the Flannelly household was Mick. He is the most be-medalled Waterfod GAA player of all time having won 25 county medals in all grades: 15 county senior hurling, three minor hurling, 4 senior football and 3 junior football. He also captained Waterford to its second All-Ireland minor hurling title in 1948. In all, he played in 18 senior hurling county finals losing only three. He played in 4 All-Ireland senior hurling finals (including one drawn game) winning in 1959.