John McNally: Ireland's first boxing Olympic medallist passes away aged 89
John McNally, the first Irish boxer to win an Olympic medal, has passed away at the age of 89.
The Belfast man claimed the bantamweight silver medal for Ireland at the Helsinki Olympics in August 1952.
In 1953, McNally took bronze at the European championships and won the Golden Gloves Championships representing Europe against the US.
He was inducted into the Irish Boxing Hall of Fame in Dublin in 2008.
A year earlier the west Belfast boxer was recognised by the Sports Council of Northern Ireland for his contribution to Irish sport at a gala event held at Stormont in Belfast.
He lost to Pentti Hamalainen of Finland on a split decision in his Olympic final of 1952 but was unable to replicate his amateur success in the professional ranks, fighting 25 times and ending with a record of 14 wins, nine defeats and two draws.
Paying tribute to the influence of McNally on Irish boxing, legendary Belfast trainer John Breen said he was "a credit to Irish boxing".
"Everybody looked up to him, he was an inspiration to other Irish fighters," added Breen.
