11 Facts About Freddie Gilroy

Freddie Gilroy won a bronze medal for Ireland at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne at Bantamweight.

Freddie Gilroy was born on 7 March 1936 in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Freddie Gilroy got an early start in boxing by joining the St John Bosco amateur boxing club at the age of nine.

Freddie Gilroy then beat Mario Sitri of Italy on points, before losing to Wolfgang Behrendt of Germany on points.

Freddie Gilroy successfully defended the British Empire Bantamweight title against South African Bernie Taylor on 5 December 1959.

Freddie Gilroy, the reigning European and British bantamweight champion, was the favorite of the partisan British crowd.

On 20 October 1962, Freddie Gilroy fought fellow Belfast native and Olympic medalist John Caldwell in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest fights ever to be held in Ireland.

Freddie Gilroy won when a cut to Caldwell's eye prevented him continuing the bout.

Freddie Gilroy retained his British Empire Bantamweight title, and immediately announced his retirement from his short but successful boxing career.

Freddie Gilroy died at the age of eighty in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 28 June 2016.

Freddie Gilroy's funeral was at Holy Cross Church in Belfast.