Matt Flanagan

Heavyweight boxer Matt Flanagan worked in the Dublin dockyards before he joined the newly formed Garda Síochána (Gardaí), the national police and security service of the Republic of Ireland, in April 1923. He remained in the Garda until his retirement in 1960.

During his time in the Garda, Flanagan won many police titles, including the European Police heavyweight title. He was a triple Garda champion between 1926-28, when he was also a dominant Irish cruiser- and heavyweight. He was the national light-heavy champion in 1925 and 1926, and then won four heavyweight titles in 1927-29 and 1931.

Flanagan went to the 1928 Olympics as the reigning Irish champion and had the honour of being Ireland’s Flag Bearer at the opening ceremony. Unfortunately, his Olympic career ended in the first round of his opening bout when he was knocked out by Argentina’s eventual gold medallist Arturo Rodríguez. A few weeks later, however, Flanagan won the Tailteann Games heavyweight gold medal and was presented with his prize by the recently retired world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney.

The highlights of Flanagan’s boxing career were in 1931 when he won the prestigious Boston tournament in the USA and then returned to the Royal Albert Hall in London to beat a fellow policeman, constable O’Grady of the London City Police, to win the ABA heavyweight title. In December 1931 Flanagan was injured when knocked out by the German heavyweight Kurt Ramek at Dublin’s Theatre Royal. Flanagan never fully recovered and was forced to eventually retire from the ring in 1933 after 62 wins from 74 bouts.