Chick Gillen

Who is Chick Gillen?

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.