Mick O'Flanagan

Mick O'Flanagan (29 September 1922 – 13 September 2015) was an Irish former sportsman who represented his country at both soccer and rugby union. As a soccer player, O'Flanagan played for, among others, Home Farm, Bohemians and Belfast Celtic. His older brother, Kevin O'Flanagan, was also a notable sportsman who also represented his country at both sports and played soccer for Bohs and Arsenal. On 30 September 1946, Mick and Kevin also played international soccer together for Ireland against England. A third brother, Charlie O'Flanagan, also played for Bohs.

Mick O'Flanagan
Personal information
Full name Michael O'Flanagan
Date of birth 29 September 1922
Place of birth Dublin, Irish Free State
Date of death 13 September 2015(2015-09-13) (aged 92)[1]
Place of death Dublin, Ireland
Position(s) Centre Forward (soccer)
Centre (rugby)
Youth career
Soccer
19xx Kenilworth
19xx Home Farm
19xx St. Patrick's C.Y.M.S.
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Soccer
1939–1949 Bohemians
1949 → Belfast Celtic (guest)
Rugby union
Lansdowne R.F.C.
International career
Soccer
1946 Ireland 1 (0)
Rugby union
1948 Ireland 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bohemians

O'Flanagan played soccer as a youth with several clubs, most notably Home Farm, before joining Bohemians in 1939.[2] He quickly established himself in the first team and was top goalscorer in the League of Ireland for the 1940–41 season, scoring 19 league goals. He also scored 31 times in 31 appearances in all competitions that season.[3][4] In 1945, O'Flanagan, together with his brother Kevin, was a member of the Bohs team coached by Jimmy Dunne that won the Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup.[5] He also scored the winning goal in the final against Belfast Celtic at Dalymount Park.

On 30 September 1946, he was working a pub in Dublin when he received a desperate phone call at 2:30 p.m. asking him to substitute for an injured Irish player in a match against England due to start at 5:30 p.m. at Dalymount Park. He rushed out and managed to play alongside his brother in the match.[1]

In the 1946-47 Leinster Senior Cup final Mick would score an astonishing six goals in an 11–0 win for Bohemians over Grangegorman[6]

Belfast Celtic

During the summer of 1949, O'Flanagan also guested for Belfast Celtic on their tour of North America. Other members of the touring party included Billy McMillan, Tom Aherne, Robin Lawler, Johnny Campbell and manager Elisha Scott. These were the last games Belfast Celtic played before the club disbanded. O'Flanagan scored twice during the tour. His first goal came on 12 May in 5–0 win against Ulster United and he scored again in a 4–0 win against Montreal All-Stars on 1 June. However the highlight of the 10 game tour came on 29 May when Celtic beat Scotland 2–0 at Triborough Stadium.[7][8][9] During the second half, fights broke out, including one between O'Flanagan and Scotland's Willie Waddell.[10] That was the last time Scotland ever played a club side.[1]

Irish international

Soccer

O'Flanagan made his only appearance for Ireland on 30 September 1946 in a 1–0 defeat against England at Dalymount Park. Among his teammates that day was his brother Kevin. Mick was only called up as a late replacement for the injured Davy Walsh and he had spent the previous night entertaining a party of English journalists at Templeogue tennis club. The following morning he went to work in his pub in Dublin and did not learn of his call up until just a few hours before the game was due to kick off.[11][12][13]

Rugby

In 1947m O'Flanagan began playing rugby union with Lansdowne FC and on 28 February 1948 he played for Ireland against Scotland in a 6–0 win at Lansdowne Road. This helped an Ireland team featuring Karl Mullen and Jack Kyle, win the Triple Crown, Grand Slam and the 1948 Five Nations Championship.[14][2]

Personal life

Mick was a publican by trade, his sporting career, like that of his brother being strictly amateur. He ran a pub at 88 Marlborough Street[15] in Dublin's City Centre which is known today as the Confession Box[16] due to its proximity to St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral. It was in this pub in 1960 that the Soccer Writers Association of Ireland was established.[17]

Honours

Soccer
Bohemians
Individual

Source:[4]

Rugby
Ireland

References
  1. "Belfast Celtic player also made history with Ireland". The Irish News. 31 October 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  2. The Complete Who's Who of Irish International Football, 1945–96 (1996):Stephen McGarrigle
  3. Bohemian FC match programme, Vol. 52, no. 24
  4. "Ireland – List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  5. Bohemians 1944–45 squad Archived 3 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Reid, Tony (1976) Bohemian AFC – Official club history 1890-1976
  7. Belfast Celtic USA tour results
  8. "The Year in American Soccer – 1949". Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  9. Paradise Lost and Found: The Story of Belfast Celtic (1999):Padraig Coyle
  10. "Fights Mar Tour Games". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 30 May 1949. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  11. Ireland soccer stats
  12. England international results
  13. The Boys In Green – The FAI International Story (1997): Sean Ryan
  14. 1948 Five Nations
  15. "Morrissey's – History of Licenced Property Transactions". Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  16. "The Story Behind a Pub Called the Confession Box". 17 May 2018.
  17. "Swai.ie".
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