Ray was an inspiration for so many athletes
TRIBUTES from individuals and governing bodies in the world of athletics have been paid to the late Ray Flynn, a leading light in the local and national athletics scene, who passed away on Tuesday.
Terry Hayes, a close friend, and colleague said: “We are devastated here in Sligo because Ray was not only prominent in Sligo Athletics Club, but he also kept the club out in Calry going as well, he was one of our main men.”
He recalled how three years after he arrived in Sligo in 1979, he got involved with Ray through the
County Board.
“I was involved with North Sligo AC at the time prior to joining Sligo AC and Ray was involved with Calry Athletic Club.
“We would have been on the
County Board organising events and to say that we were very close would have been an understatement, we were the best of pals.”
Terry said Ray had been with
John Cronin, president of Athletics Ireland on Sunday, last where they were attending the National Road Relays.
“On his way back from Dublin Ray stopped in Longford and this terrible tragedy happened,” he said.
Terry recalled the special relationship Ray had with Olympic athlete Rob Heffernan: “They were like brothers, Ray attended all Rob’s events, he was even groomsman at his wedding.”
He got involved with Rob through Athletics Ireland and he attended every event Rob was at, either as a coach or assisting out on the course with water.
Terry said: “Ray and I attended Rob’s wedding. We had a great time. Rob will be absolutely devastated by Ray’s death.”
Terry said that while Ray ran many marathons, the 2012 Dublin City Marathon which he ran with his daughter Zola (named after the South African star Zola Budd), would always be special.
Alluding to Ray’s involvement with his local Calry AC club, he said Jackie McGowan from Calry was Ray’s mentor. “Jackie was another great Calry athlete who I’m sure will be deeply saddened by Ray’s death.”
Reflecting on Ray’s regular column ‘Running Shoes’ in the Sligo Weekender, Terry summed up Ray in one word: “Opinionated”. He quickly added: “He had his own opinions, they were strong opinions on athletics, on life and on the GAA.
“I think some of his frustration with the GAA was misunderstood, he felt there were some potentially very talented athletes lost to athletics because they chose the GAA route. He wasn’t anti-GAA, it was more that young lads and young girls were being lost to athletics.”
Terry said Ray’s legacy would and should be what he did for young people all over the country: “I know people will talk about the committees in Dublin he served on, and they should, but his legacy will and must be what he did for the youth.
“Ray put so much time and effort bringing kids to events all over the country. He encouraged young
Ray, with Olympian Sonia O’Sullivan and close friend and colleague Terry Hayes who paid tribute to the late coach this week.
competitors, boys and girls, up to national level at race walking. He produced loads and loads of kids who won national titles.
“He was totally committed to young people, driving them, coaching them, race walking is not that popular a sport in this country, but he was there for them, bringing them all over the country to compete in cross country, track, and field and more.
“He was always at the finish line – he gave his whole life to athletics,” he said.
Laughing as he remembered one of Ray’s favourite sayings, Terry said Ray had no time for “those yellow or red wind and rain warnings when it came to athletics and cross-country in particular”.
“Ray always said that there is no such thing as bad weather, only weak athletes.”
Anne McHugh, secretary of County Sligo Athletics Board, said Ray was a wonderful friend and contributor to athletics locally, nationally, and internationally. Sligo County Athletics Board and all those involved in the sport locally wished to send their sympathy and offer their condolences to Ray’s wife Liz and the Flynn family.
Athletics Ireland described Ray as “an esteemed coach” who worked with athletes from local to international level.
In a tribute posted on the Athletics Ireland website and other online platforms, they stated: “It is with great sadness that Athletics Ireland mourns the passing of Sligo native Raymond Flynn.
“Raymond was a member of the Athletics Ireland High Performance Committee as well as a dedicated coach and official who was ever present at events across the country. “‘Ray’ was passionate about race walking and started with his local Calry AC in the late 1960s, inspired by the likes of race walkers such as Jackie McGowan and Tommy Casey, which would in turn lead him to become a European race walking judge.
“Raymond was an esteemed coach, working with athletes from club, right up to international level, including Robert Heffernan, Olive Loughnane, Colin Griffin, and James Costin.
“Our thoughts are with all of his friends and family at this difficult time.”
Pierce O’Callaghan, former international race walker and now head of competition management at World Athletics, said: “The news of the untimely passing of Sligo athletics official Ray Flynn has come as a major shock to everyone who knew him from Sligo and further afield and marks the end of an era in Sligo athletics.
“A great family man, he lived for his wife Elizabeth and daughters Rachel, Zola, Edel, and son Calvin, all of whom he always talked about and was so proud of and to whom we express our deepest sympathies.
“Ray was an ever-smiling, multifaceted man with a great sense of fun and mischief and certainly one of a kind who broke the mould and went against conventions in practically every way.
“Athlete, coach, official, committee member, organiser, volunteer, journalist, judge mentor, friend – he wore every hat in the sport with great pride. His passing leaves a major void in Sligo, Connacht, and Irish athletics.”
On Twitter, Cork race walker
Rob Heffernan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, and a 2013 World Championship gold medallist, paid tribute to his mentor for so many years: “I have lost my best friend Ray Flynn. He was like a dad/brother/ friend all rolled into one and he was involved with all my successes and failures in my life and was always there for me.”
Local athletic clubs were among those to pay also tribute and offer sympathy to the Flynn family. Sligo AC said it was “with great sadness Sligo AC mourns the sudden and untimely death of Raymond (Ray) Flynn, who passed away earlier this week.”
“Sligo AC offer our deepest sympathies to his family, to whom he was a supportive and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. May he rest in peace.”
Corran AC extended deepest sympathy to the family and friends “of the legend that was Ray Flynn” adding that he was “a huge loss to the athletics community”.