Fivemiletown boxer, Trevor Kerr, was determined to be a success in his chosen sport.

Boxing was in his blood as he followed his brother Norman into sport with his younger brother Dessie.

As a teenager he joined up with the legendary trainer Gerry Storey at the Holy Family club in North Belfast.

The club was a hotbed for some of Ireland's greatest fighters as well as doing vital work at bringing communities together during the troubles.

Gerry recalls Trevor as "the quiet man" but was game for anything once he got into the ring.

It is clear the respect Gerry had for Trevor whenever he looks back. The stories are told with enthusiasm and regularly broken by a laugh.

Trevor's dedication to boxing was seen in his determination to train with Gerry.

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday Trevor would make the journey from Fivemiletown to North Belfast.

"He would have been the first car down to the gym," recalls Gerry.

"He would have been a raw kid.

"Trevor was a mixture boxer/fighter but mostly fighter.

"That’s where you had to tune him down a wee bit and get a wee bit of the skill into him and that’s what we done.

"But he was tough, strong, rugged and he was game. He was tough alright."

Back in the 1960s, the Holy Family club travelled all over for boxing events and would have appeared in Fermanagh and Tyrone, with Trevor usually meeting up with them somewhere along the way.

As he progressed he would have travelled to England and all over Ireland fighting

At the club, Gerry remembers Trevor and a heavyweight by the name of Patsy Reid getting on well and they would usually spar together as well.

"We had a big heavyweight champion in the club Patsy Reid. A lovable character funny enough him and Trevor were something of the same but with a wee bit of a difference.

Patsy would have been more on the wild side but Trevor would have been more conservative."

"Patsy was a character on a wee bit of the wild side, funny, happy go lucky guy.

"Trevor was something similar but you couldn’t get two words out of him. When you seen Trevor it was just a smile, grin and a laugh. Him and Patsy were two opposites but they were great mates."

This difference, Gerry remembers fondly, would have been evident on a Sunday morning when Patsy may have had a "rough" Saturday night.

"I knew by looking at Patsy he would have been saying to Trevor we'll take this easy.

"Before they started I would have been in and went over to Trevor and say listen your first shot is a left hook. You slip to your left and bring your left hand as hard and as fast can right into his stomach. That’s your first shot.

"They knew whenever I talked like this I wanted it done.

"Patsy had already the scheme to take it easy because he might have had a rough night before.

"I'd have went over to Patsy and said no messing I want you taking the fight to him and Patsy used to nod. I can picture him saying 'yes Gerry' and he's halfway looking down at the ground to see if he can look over at Trevor.

"When I rang the bell for the first round Trevor would have been right out and slipped left and right into Patsy’s stomach. Patsy would be taking big deep breaths. He was hurt and would look around at me and then there was a bit of a war between them."

The two friends went on to fight internationally for Ireland in Italy and this meant they got a place on "Paradise Row" in Holy Family, a place reserved on the wall for their international fighters.

Trevor also travelled to the US and fought at Madison Square Gardens, New York against the Golden Gloves, in Pittsburgh against the Diamond Belts and finally in West Orange, New Jersey.

Outside of the ring, Gerry could not say enough about Trevor: "He was brilliant. He was never seen without that smile on his face, never seen annoyed or in bad form. Everybody in the club loved him."

In 1977, Trevor decided to turn professional and he picked up the Northern Ireland Light Heavyweight beating Mick Fellingham in 1980.

During his professional career he was trained by Eddie Shaw who also trained former World Champion, Barry McGuigan.

Another man, who remembers Trevor fondly is John Williamson, owner of the Valley Hotel in Fivemiletown and President of the British Board of Boxing Control.

John explained that because there was never a belt for the Northern Ireland title, the hotel sponsored one for Trevor and presented it to him.

Like Gerry, John only has fond memories of Trevor who worked in the hotel for 25 years.

"A gentleman. You couldn't get better. A lovely fella to work with you could always depend on him."

Trevor went on to a boxing club out of his house before setting up Cooneen Amateur boxing club.

In November, 2018 at the age of 68, Trevor passed away. He is survived by his wife Wilma and daughters Rushelle and Anita and grandchildren.

Trevor Kerr, a fierce competitor during his boxing career but a gentleman outside the ring to all who knew him.