Background
His father, Matt, enjoyed a distinguished Gaelic football career with Galway.
His father, Matt, enjoyed a distinguished Gaelic football career with Galway.
Born in Waterford, Flannelly first excelled at hurling in his youth. He arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of eighteen when he first linked up with the Waterford minor team He made his debut during the 1949-1950 league.
Her was an All-Ireland runner-up on two occasions.
At club level he was a fifteen-time championship medallist with Mount Sion. Throughout his career Flannelly made 33 championship appearances.
He retired from inter-county hurling following the conclusion of the 1965 championship. Mick came from a sporting family.
His father, Matt, was a Mayo man who moved to Tuam, Company Galway in 1902.
He had played handball as a means of getting fit for football and after he moved to Waterford in 1920 continued with both games. In 1925, however, he decided to concentrate more on handball and in that year, partnered by Mick Batterberry, contested the All-Ireland senior doubles final. That year, in company with Jack Flavin, they reached the All-Ireland senior doubles final only to be narrowly beaten.
Matt had also played football during his handball years - with Ballytruckle at first and then Gracedieu.
He played his last football game in 1933 - thirty years after he first graced the football fields of Galway. Matt had five sons, Patsy, Matt jnr, Jim, Mick and Joe and all played with distinction for Mount Sion.
In 1944 Matt and Jim figured in a losing display for the Mount Sion minor team that lost narrowly to a Dungarvan team that set up a seemingly unbeatable record of five minor crown in a row. In 1945 Jim and Joe were on the Mount Sion team that beat Cappoquin for the title.
The age limit claimed Jim the next year but Mick and Joe remained together in 1946-1948.
Between 1908 and 1920 he was a regular member of the Galway inter-county team and played in the All-Ireland final in 1919 when Galway lost to Kildare.