“Billy Walsh must have been on cloud nine as he left the National Stadium on a spring night.
“Defeating Patsy Ormond on points, Walsh had just won his first National Senior title at Light Welterweight and had also taken the Best Boxer Award on March 25, 1983.
“Making his way to the Headline Bar where his supporters were already celebrating his jubilation was suddenly erased, when the Wexford fighter witnesses the IRA attack that ended the life of Brian Stack.
“Based in Portlaoise, Stack worked as a prison officer. A boxing referee in his spare time, he also attended the Stadium that night. As he made his way to his car, an IRA assassin shot him in the neck, before fleeing the scene as a passenger on a motorbike. Left paralysed and brain damaged, he died in September 1984 as a result of his injuries.
“He was the only prison officer to be killed in the Republic during The Troubles. It took until 2013 for the IRA to admit it was behind the murder, when a meeting was facilitated between Mr Stack’s sons and an IRA leader at a secret location.”
Walsh recalled gardai called to his home afterwards.
“They found the bike in the Canal but they never got anybody for it. For a few reasons that fight and that night was a very memorable one. It was over 40 years ago and I still remember that poor man.
“Sometimes you think could it have been me, if I was anywhere closer. Obviously, he was targeted, but if you were close to him, you could have been shot as well. It’s small margins, isn’t it? This is a man who was working voluntarily for Irish amateur boxing, doing his job in Portlaoise, then to be taken out…
“It was very sad, a man with a young family. It just made me realise, I had the elation of what I achieved but it showed how quickly that could be taken away from you.”
The above are extracts from one of the interviews with 25 Irish boxing figures contained in a new book written by Clare Champion journalist, Owen Ryan.
Entitled ‘Fight Of My Life’, it sees boxers discuss their most memorable memorable fight and a variety of themes like mental illness, The Troubles, discrimination, alcohol and drug abuse.
It could be described as more of a book about boxers than boxing.
There are several Olympic medallists included such as Michael Carruth, Wayne McCullough, Kenneth Egan, Paddy Barnes and Aidan Walsh.
In the professional ranks, world champions like Barry McGuigan, Andy Lee, McCullough and Deirdre Gogarty, Ireland’s first female world champion, are featured.
Sean Mannion, Francie Barrett, Charlie Nash, Dave McAuley Gerry Storey, Willie Casey, Limerick, Niall Kennedy, Emmet Brennan and John Duddy provide their own personal stories.
Five female boxers – Michaela Walsh, Christina Desmond, Alanna Audley- Murphy, Christina McMahon and Deirdre Gogarty are interviewed about boxing at a time when women fighting was far from commonplace.
Published by Hero Books, it is now on sale on Amazon.
Back in the eighties, as a child Ryan was a big Barry McGuigan fan and was very disappointed when he lost to Steve Cruz, something the “Clones Cyclone” remembers in the book.
In June 1985, McGuigan had won the World Featherweight title when he beat Eusebio Pedroza at a packed Loftus stadium, claiming the title in a unanimous points decision.
McGuigan outlines the phenomenal interest this fight generated on television in the book.
“The night I won the World title, 19 million people watched it … 19 million. Nobody has beaten that, 37 years later I still hold that record (most people watching a fight in the UK) and because we have such a proliferation of channels nowadays, it’ll probably never be beaten. If Anthony Joshua had been on the BBC there’s no doubt he would have beaten it, but it’s not economical for them to fight on terrestrial TV anymore … it’s all about pay per view. If that figure is ever beaten, I’ll be flabbergasted.
“It was an incredible time. I won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, I won WBA Fighter of the Year, British Boxing Board of Control Fighter of the Year. It was an amazing night, an amazing year.”
Michael Carruth and Wayne McCullough are also interviewed, who Ryan also remembers watching with keen interest as a boy, and was delighted when they won their Olympic medals.
Having read GAA books published by Hero Books where former GAA stars spoke about their favourite or most memorable game, Ryan found these extensive interviews, where players also spoke about their personal lives, made for interesting reading.
Following a similar template, he provides an overview of some of the boxers’ most memorable moments before interviewing them on a variety of matters inside and outside the ring.
Over the last few years, The Clare Champion journalist has written boxing articles for publications like Irish-Boxing.Com, which prompted an awareness that many boxers have an interesting background story with some having battled addiction or faced other demons as well as winning gruelling fights in the ring.
When Ryan approached Hero Books publisher, Liam Hayes, the former Meath All-Star midfielder, who is also a boxing enthusiast, liked the idea and backed the project.
While some boxers like McGuigan, and Olympic winners Paddy Barnes and Aidan Walsh were chosen because of their high profile, others were picked because they have very interesting stories.
Outside of boxing, Kenneth Egan was elected to South Dublin County Council in 2014 and 2019. He also works as a psychotherapist, with many of his clients suffering from addiction. Another figher included, Craig O’Brien, had a troubled youth dealing with addiction problems, spending a lot of time in prison.
However after being released from one spell of imprisonment, O’Brien gave up drugs, started training very hard, became a professional fighter, got a degree and now completes a lot of social work in Dublin.
“A lot of boxers are quite driven people. The boxing lifestyle appeals to a lot of people. The commitment that is required is good for people. Craig O’Brien is a good example of this. Boxing was very good for him when he found that focus,” says Ryan.
“Wayne McCullough grew up on the Shankill Road training very hard as a teenager whereas many people he knew got involved with paramilitaries because they didn’t have the same focus in their lives.
“I loved meeting all the boxers when I was writing the book. A lot of them are highly motivated, with a positive attitude and were really committed to their sport. They had the attitude that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
“From a very young age, McCullough was very focused. He wanted to win a WBC World title, which he eventually achieved,” Ryan explained.
Mick Dowling explained in the book some of the sacrifices involved to ensure a boxer remains at their physical peak to withstand punishment between the ropes.
“All I did was work and train, there was no nightlife, no going to hoolies and parties and all of that… you couldn’t do that. I wanted to be a top-class fighter and to be that you have to train like a dog. Your mates can go and have a bit of craic, have a bit of fun, but if you want something out of it you’ve got to forego all of that,” he says in the book.
In 1997, Deirdre Gogarty won the Women’s International Boxing Federation World featherweight title when there was no women’s boxing of noted in Ireland.
After participating in an unsanctioned boxing match in Ireland, she left the country in the hope she might be able to carve out a career in the United States of America earning a place on the undercard of a bout between Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson, bringing women’s boxing to a huge new audience.
While the world title was the crowning achievement of her career, that fight against Christy Martin holds a more significant place in the history of women’s boxing.
While an active fighter Ms Gogarty was almost completely unheralded in Ireland, she has now been honoured with a statue in her home town of Drogheda.
Looking back now, Ryan feels it seems crazy that only 25 years ago women’s boxing was practically unheard of in the country as women and girls weren’t facilitated or encouraged to participate in the sport.
Its embrace by the mainstream was evidenced by the estimated 74 million live viewers globally who tuned in for the Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano thriller, which proved to be the most watched professional women’s sports event in US history.
While boxers are brave by nature, the author acknowledged that Niall Kennedy had to retire early due to the risk of serious brain damage following a scan. “Wayne McCullough was also out for a period due to a brain issue but there never really was a brain issue because his scans were being misread in the United Kingdom. There was a lot of politics at play at the time. There was a time when he was allowed to fight in the United States of America but not the UK,” he said.
Ryan pointed out that several professional boxers like John Duddy weren’t very well rewarded financially compared to the return for promoters and managers.
“When Andy Lee finished fighting he thought he was done with it because he didn’t like the business side of it where there are a lot of sharks. Then circumstances changed and he went back in as a trainer. He has now become a prominent commentator and he is training Tyson Fury and Paddy Donovan.
“Professional boxing can be very cut throat and the business side can be very tough on the boxers. John Duddy is a good example of that and he spoke about how his career went.” Sean Mannion from Galway was another who said he felt he wasn’t managed properly.
“It is that kind of a sport, the best boxers don’t always fight the best boxers. If a boxer can’t sell a large number of tickets, they don’t always get the best fights or get promoted on a big pay-for-view.
“It is very unfortunate but very often it is more of a business than a sport. A lot of the professional fighters I spoke to had tough stories,” Ryan said.
Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno had a big payday for their fight at MGM Grand Las Vegas, which attracted 1.37 million pay-per-view purchases on March 16, 1996. Tyson earned $30 million for his night’s work while the British fighter pocketed $6 million. For her efforts against Christy Martin on the same night Deirdre Gogarty was paid a mere $3,000.
“Wayne McCullough talks about being very close to suicide when he was younger and how he has coped with mental health challenges. Kenneth Egan spoke about giving up alcohol. Willie Casey spoke about discrimination. He has worked all his life and coaches boxing in one of the most disadvantaged communities in Ireland,” Ryan explained.
Casey highlighted the discrimination facing some Travellers in Irish society in the book.
“I’ve been in the same job for the last 10 years, and I worked for the same company in the early 2000s for four years as a welding fabricator. I’ve been lucky, but unfortunately for other Travellers they’re not so lucky, they can’t get that job, and that’s just down to sheer discrimination, they’re not taking you on because of who you are,” he said.
Having completed the book, Ryan said his admiration had grown for the fighters.
“I really enjoyed talking to all the boxers featured in the book. They all gave great interviews and were very generous with their time. I hope I have done a good job bringing out their story. I loved working on the book.”
He thanked his partner, Elish for her support for the work he had to complete outside his day job.
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.