Chick Gillen
Encyclopedia
Michael 'Chick' Gillen is an Irish
ex-boxer, former Connacht
champion, and was a finalist in the Irish army senior boxing championships.
Gillen fought as a light welterweight
and is a former army junior national boxing champion. Gillen formed the Holy Family boxing club in the 1960s and the Olympic Boxing Club in 1988. He is best known for training Francis Barrett
, the first Traveller
to reach the Olympics. Gillen trained over 28 national champions, including both junior and senior, and trained many international boxers. Gillen trained the Olympic Boxing members under street lamps because they had no training facilities. Gillen ran a barber
shop on Dominick Street when he was not working with amateur boxers in Galway. He closed his shop in 2008 after more than 45 years to better enjoy his farming and familial pursuits.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ex-boxer, former Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
champion, and was a finalist in the Irish army senior boxing championships.
Gillen fought as a light welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
and is a former army junior national boxing champion. Gillen formed the Holy Family boxing club in the 1960s and the Olympic Boxing Club in 1988. He is best known for training Francis Barrett
Francis Barrett (boxer)
Francis Barrett , commonly known as Francie Barrett, is an Irish professional boxer, who represented Ireland at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-Background:...
, the first Traveller
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
to reach the Olympics. Gillen trained over 28 national champions, including both junior and senior, and trained many international boxers. Gillen trained the Olympic Boxing members under street lamps because they had no training facilities. Gillen ran a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop on Dominick Street when he was not working with amateur boxers in Galway. He closed his shop in 2008 after more than 45 years to better enjoy his farming and familial pursuits.