Ireland’s amateur boxing story is one of blood, sweat and tears – and not just in the ring.
Ireland is one of the world’s leading nations in the sport. This is the inside story of a great tradition – a story of physical prowess, gritty determination, devastating defeats, sheer bad luck, infamous ‘he was robbed’ judging decisions, and the ultimate goal of Olympic glory.
The boxers’ lives play out against a backdrop of the economic woes of the 1950s, the Northern Ireland Troubles, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Sean McGoldrick shines a spotlight on Ireland’s ‘Medal Factory’, the sometimes-contentious High Performance Unit, which has nurtured Irish boxers on the road to winning seven Olympic medals.
Punching Above Their Weight captures the rollercoaster ride of such legendary boxers and coaches as John McNally, Fred Tiedt, Barry McGuigan, Hugh Russell, Billy Walsh, Michael Carruth, Zaur Antia, Wayne McCullough, Paddy Barnes, Kenny Egan, Darren Sutherland, John Joe Nevin, and Katie Taylor, among many others.
A countback of over seventy years of Ireland’s ‘sweet science’.
Sean McGoldrick is a sports journalist for the Sunday World. He was shortlisted for Sports Journalist of the Year at the Bord Gáis Energy National Media Awards 2009.
top holiday books for blokes
Sunday World
addictive … one of those rare sports books that are hard to put down
Sunday World
excellent
Ireland’s Own Christmas Annual
a book that makes perfectly clear just how extraordinary it is that this small island should be vying for the role of a top boxing nation at the major championships … a must-read for anyone planning on watching Paddy Barnes and company in Brazil in 2016
Irish Examiner
stands out
Sean O’Rourke Show
RTE Radio 1
the sport of boxing has been tarnished by recent events, but this book is a fine contribution to its rich history in this country
Gorey Guardian
riveting
Evening Echo
is the definitive book on Irish boxing at the Olympics
Sunday Independent
a tale of physical prowess and gritty determination
Sunday World
highly recommended
The Irish Sun
blow-by-blow account of the rise of Irish amateur boxing
Irish Times
