The death of one of the last of Old Thomondgate GAA's greatest sons took place on Sunday, July 5 at the St Paul's Nursing Home. Michael Flanagan was born in the heart of old Thomondgate in the early 1920 into a family that were staunch supporters of the GAA in Limerick city. His father also Michael was a founder member of the Treaty Hurling Club when it was reformed in 1902. Young Michael Flanagan in his early years learned to play hurling and football in and around the roads and fields of Thomondgate with the Costello boys, the Bourkes, the Ryans, the Fitzgeralds and many more young men from the area. By his 14th birthday Michael was a star player with St Munchin's CBS and Treaty GAA Club with whom he won a county minor football championship medal playing in goals in 1935. Michael went on to win four more minor football county championship medals in 1936, '37, '38 and '39 - that was some record. Over the next twenty odd years Michael Flanagan went on to win county championships in hurling and football at junior and senior levels with Treaty and when the club split in 1940 he won medals with Sarsfields. In 1946 Michael was one of the men who got the two clubs Treaty and Sarsfields to reform as one club. Treaty Sarsfields was a name that made history in the county of Limerick and Michael was always to the fore in all the club's activities both on and off the playing fields. As World War Two was coming to an end in 1945 Michael married his sweetheart Kathleen Hogan from near High Street and moved to Lenihan Avenue, Prospect and they had six wonderful children, three girls, Louise, Annette and Kay and three boys, Gerard, the late Michael and the late Bernard. Michael worked in James McMahon's Timber Yard in Alphonsus Street for most of his working life, always a man who would stop and have a chat about all sports. Over the years Michael wore a track on the footpath from his house in Prospect to Thomondgate as he attended matches in all grades and meetings of his beloved Treaty Sarsfields. He also gave great time to the City and County GAA Boards both on and off the playing fields. But most of all Michael Flanagan was a great family man. His heart was broken when his loving Kathleen passed away in 2006 after 61 great years of married life. Now they are back together once again in God's house. We the past members of Treaty Sarsfields GAA Club wish to extend our sincere sympathies to all Michael's family and to all his friends. He gave of all that he had to us, all we could give him was friendship and sport. May he rest in peace. Limerick Leader, 25th July 2009 Tweet

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