Mural will keep alive memory and spirit of Kevin Sheehy says coach Moore
Ken Moore revealed both he and his wife Marion were inspired by Michael Conlan’s Belfast murals on the day a brilliant painting of Kevin Sheehy was revealed in Limerick.
The St Francis BC coach and his wife were searching for some way to pay suitable homage to the young boxing prospect in the months after his passing.
Moore claims seeing Conlan, who dedicated his Feile win to the memory of Sheehy and presented his fight shorts to the Limerick man’s family, discuss the number of murals erected in his honour up in Belfast was a ‘light bulb moment’.
Both he and his wife instantly felt a mural was the perfect way to pay tribute to the taken to soon former Olympic hopeful.
In fact the mural which adorns the outside wall of St Francis Boxing Club in the heart of the city will keep alive the memory and spirit of Sheehy explained Moore.
“Myself and my wife Marion were close to Kevin and once he passed we wanted to do something to keep his memory alive and keep his spirit alive. We just weren’t sure what to do,” says the Francis coach.
“The night Michael Conlan fought in Belfast he dedicated his fight to Kevin, his family and his newborn child. Mick has two or three murals in Belfast and he is very proud of them. He said he loved having them there so people could see them and his own kids could come see them and it was like a light bulb moment. Myself and Marion said there should be a mural in of Kevin Sheehy in his home city.”
The mural painted by adw art is a brilliant tribute and a nice way to reflect on the life of the young talent.
Moore points out his presence is greatly missed, but notes the club, its fighters, trainers, and members all have to remain strong and fight on.
“He was the heart of the club and he is gone now. You can’t replace Kevin Sheehy as a person or as a boxer. He has left a huge hole in the club. We had two options keeping going forward or we could quit. Quitting is just not in us so we had to keep going forward.”
