DR MICHAEL FLYNN, a founding member and past president of the Irish College of General Practitioners, influenced many of today's family doctors as programme director with the Eastern Regional GP Training Scheme.
He worked as a family doctor at Johnstown Medical Centre, Dún Laoghaire, until his death. Patients appreciated his joie de vivre and his unfailing ability to go "the extra mile" for them.
Born in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 1942, "Mick" Flynn was the son of Jack Flynn, an Irish-born general practitioner and Kate O'Brien. He was educated in Dominican College, Cabra, and Castleknock College, Dublin. He studied medicine at University College Dublin, graduating in 1965 and subsequently worked at the Coombe, Temple Street, St Brendan's and St James's hospitals. He married Teresa Flannery, a staff nurse in St Vincent's hospital in 1967.
After family medicine training, he joined Dr John Mason in Cabinteely to form one of the first "group" practices in the country. Their partnership was most unusual at the time, creating equity in terms of workload, salary and legal status.
A keen diagnostician, he was especially skilled at looking after teenagers and older people. A precision with language and sunny disposition facilitated his interaction with all his patients.
Michael contributed hugely to the development of general practice training following his appointment as assistant programme director of the GP training scheme in 1975. Working with Dr Manne Berber and others, he helped educate several generations of fledgling family doctors. His ability to impart knowledge was facilitated by a deadpan sense of humour. This sense of fun made it easy for trainees to develop their skills under his guidance.
More recently, he was appointed lecturer in the department of general practice at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), following the expansion of the training scheme and its integration into the TCD medical campus.
Early in his career he was honorary secretary of the Irish Medical Association and was elected president of the Irish College of General Practitioners in 2005. In Europe, he was the Irish representative on Uemo, the umbrella group for European GPs and was a member of the working group of general practitioners on Europe Against Cancer.
An active member of the Royal St George yacht club, Dún Laoghaire, he was a co-owner of a Shipman 28 which he sailed in Dublin Bay and off the Wicklow coast.
He loved opera and classical music, and was a regular at the Christmas Messiah music recital at St Patrick's Cathedral.
He is survived by his wife Tess, daughter Judy, sons Michael, James and Stephen and his baby grandson, Jack.
• Michael Flynn: born April 4th, 1942; died August 28th 2008