Legendary Mayo boxing figure hangs up his gloves

Sunday evening brought with it the end of one of the most iconic eras in Mayo boxing, as one of the pillars of Castlebar Boxing Club announced that he will be stepping away from the limelight after more than 73 years involvement.

The name Sean Horkan is synonymous with the ring, both in the county town and beyond. The 91-year-old first became actively involved in Castlebar Boxing Club in 1952, and quickly accelerated through the ranks to become a key cog in the machine. Long before his lifetime spent in a myriad of roles within the sport he loves so much, Horkan was a fine fighter, and gave his all in pursuit of victory in the ring.

Horkan is the first-ever boxer from Castlebar to win a national title, and took home the national junior light-heavyweight crown back in 1956. He has also thrice represented the club and the town on the international stage in 1958. However, once he hung up the gloves, there was no doubt that he would continue to be involved in some capacity.

He rapidly ascended in the local and national scene. By the end of the 1960s, he had risen to become president of the Connacht Council. Not long after, he was an international judge on the World Board Judges panel. In the ‘70s, Horkan was elected as a member of the National Executive of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA). In 1987, Sean was integral as the manager of the Irish team at the European Championships in Budapest.

Horkan was again the manager, and was integral when at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 when Wayne McCullough won silver at bantamweight and Michael Carruth made history when winning Ireland's first ever gold medal in the sport by defeating Cuban puncher Juan Hernández Sierra at welterweight. The part played by Sean Horkan in that success cannot be understated.

His status as a key tenet didn’t end there, and a role as National Treasurer of IABA was also on the horizon. All of these incredulous achievements came before we even saw the turn of the millennium.

Horkan has lived several lifetimes both in and around the ring, and at 91 years of age, the word ‘legendary’ could never truly encapsulate the seismic impact that Sean Horkan had on Castlebar Boxing Club.

His status as an ambassador, a trailblazer, and an innovator in nurturing the thousands of boxers who passed under his care could never be understated, and he will be recognised forevermore by those in the sport.

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