Kiltimagh mourns

Kiltimagh wife of heavyweight boxing champ dies just weeks short of her 101st birthday

Michael Commins

KILTIMAGH woman Cora Flynn will represent her family at a special memorial service for Polly Tunney, wife of former World Heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Gene Tunney, in Connecticut next month. Polly died last week, just short of her 101 birthday.
Polly Lauder was of Scottish descent and was a niece of the famous Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919), the man who made his fortune in America and later gave it all away, especially to schools and universities. Carnegie Hall in New York bears his name today as does the Carnegie University in Pittsburgh and a number of other places. He was born in Dunfermaline, Scotland.
A well-known and wealthy socialite in her time, Polly married Gene Tunney who won the World Heavyweight crown in 1926 when he defeated the reigning champion Jack Dempsey. Tunney had a second win over Dempsey a year later in the fight of “The Long Count”, a showdown that has become part of boxing folklore. He held the title for two years and retired as champion.
Gene’s mother was Mary Lydon from Gortgarve, Kiltimagh and was born in the same house where their cousin Bernie Walsh resides today. The boxing champion was a first cousin of the late Brian Walsh (Gortgarve) and of Jim Gallagher (Walshtown, Kiltimagh).
The family never forgot their connection with Kiltimagh and have been regular visitors to the town all through the years. Gene himself visited Kiltimagh in the 1930s. He died back in 1979 at the age of 81.
“There was always a great bond of letter writing between the families,” says Cora Flynn. “The letters from the Tunney family home at Star Meadow Farm, Stamford, Connecticut, were always cherished and the link was maintained in a very strong way. Gene and Polly had a family of four. Their son John served as a senator for California in the US Congress in former years. He visited us here in Kiltimagh in 1974.
The oldest son, Gene, who lives in Hawaii, performed the official opening of the Martin Sheridan Memorial in Bohola back in the 1960s.
“Their youngest son Jay served in the shipping business and lived for 25 years in Hong Kong. He is now back in Connecticut and writing a book about his father and George Bernard Shaw. While Shaw was several years older than Gene, they had a great bond of friendship, established through their love of the literature of Shakespeare. We are very much looking forward to the publication of the book.
“Joan was the only daughter of Gene and Polly and she lives in Arkansas. The later generations of the Tunney family are also retaining the link with Kiltimagh and Gene’s granddaughter Megan and her brother Geno have been to the town over the past decade. I am going to Connecticut for the special prayer service for Polly in May and I will be representing the Irish and Mayo connection with the Tunney family.”