The Rocky Road

A new boxing year is upon us and a slew of Irish fighters are looking to break those chains and bring home some major titles. Among them is Tyrone titan Feargal McCrory, who’s KO’d inactivity once before and is determined to do so again. Since ‘Fearless’ last appeared on The Rocky Road, he’s fought three times at Madison Square Garden, boxed for a world title in Washington and proved why he’s one...

Thirty (and a bit) years on from winning the WBC world bantamweight in Japan, Wayne McCullough sits down for a Christmas chat with The Rocky Road. We go back to his breakthrough as a teenager in Belfast, sparring with pros at the Eastwood Gym, his two Olympic Games which culminated in a silver medal at Barcelona 92 and moving to the US to train under the legendary Eddie Futch. What made his mentor...

The Tomás MacCurtain Boxing Museum opened in Cork last year, and The Rocky Road went for a guided tour with father-and-son duo, Tommy and Mick Kelleher. It’s not just a tribute to the Rebel County’s achievements in the ring but a testament to the impact Irishmen and women have made all over the world in the squared circle. The museum contains pieces from across the amateur and professional do...

In Part 2 of The Rocky Road with Kieran Joyce, Cork’s Boxer of the Century, we tell the story of his career from the 1984 Olympics onwards, from Los Angeles to Seoul, where he boxed at his second Games. By then Kieran was a six-time Irish Elite champion and a dangerous man. He’d picked up experience all over the world and had beaten several future world professional champions – including Dublin’s...

Kieran Joyce was named as Cork’s Boxer of the Century in 2014. A product of the Sunnyside Boxing Club, he boxed for Ireland at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games and is fondly remembered by fans as arguably the most exciting boxer to ever grace the National Stadium. The Rocky Road visited Kieran at his home to hear his story: developing his strength early by working in the family coal business, comin...

The Rocky Road took a trip to the Rebel County to sit down with the Godfather of Cork Boxing, Tommy Kelleher. He’s been coaching for five decades and took his first steps in the sport more than 70 years ago. Tommy has coached more than 30 Irish champions and internationals and led Ireland’s boxers at the 1987 and 1988 Gaelic Youths before guiding the senior team to the 1989 World Championships in...

Zaur Antia – your mission is complete. You created universal boxers and delivered medals by the bucketload. Ten Olympic medals came Ireland’s way during your time in charge of the boxing team. As news filters through that the Georgian guru has stepped down as Irish boxing’s head honcho, The Rocky Road spoke with Beijing 2008 Olympian John Joe Joyce, who was there on his first day in Ireland 22 yea...

Veteran boxing journalist Wally Downes Jr of The Sun joins The Rocky Road to break down this Saturday’s rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn. Wally discusses the intense rivalry between the duo – or is it – along with the promotion’s lack of media engagement ahead of the showdown. Curious, or intentional? We also wonder if non-title money fights are the way forward for big-name fighters...

Undefeated contender Tommy Hyde (13-0) joins The Rocky Road after conquering rings in America, Australia and Spain since his last fight in Cork. We talk about his upcoming homecoming fight in Parochial Hall on November 29, break down his latest win over Patrick Allotey, and get his expert pundit's prediction for the massive Eubank Jr v Benn II rematch. Plus, Tommy reveals the truth behind his unex...

We’re joined by a man who was once a five-time Irish amateur champion, a World Series of Boxing star, and a professional middleweight known for his rugged, relentless style: it’s Tyrone’s Conrad Cummings. I first interviewed Conrad back in April 2013, where he told me incredible stories about fighting for Mexico in the WSB - I remember dubbing him The Irish Mexican, not the first and not the last...

Irish boxing has suffered a profound loss, mourning two men who dedicated their lives to the sport and shaped generations of champions. Today, we pause to celebrate and honour the immense legacies of Peter O’Donnell and Jim Moore. Donegal's Peter O’Donnell, affectionately known as "Mr Boxing," was a club founder, ring announcer and fight fanatic. We’re joined by his great friend, journalist Chris...

What. A. Night. JB Boxing Promotions promised the most competitive all-Irish card in years and it certainly delivered in Dublin's National Stadium. The Rocky Road was there for it all. We hear from a buzzing Podge Collins who scored the best KO of the night when he took out Michael Osborne to move his record to 4-0. Peter Carr beat Sean Murray in an all-Leinster cracker and the stage was set...

He's back! At 41, Cork's own Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan joins us on The Rocky Road as he prepares for his 38th professional fight. He's back for one reason and one reason only - having achieved most of his dreams in the sport, there's one thing left to accomplish: to win a world middleweight title. He discusses the current state of play at 160lbs and reveals he's open to a showdown with fellow Irish...

Today, we sit down with a boxer who faces a unique challenge, balancing two of the most disciplined jobs in the country. She's a top-tier amateur star, a true trailblazer for Irish boxing, and she is a serving member of  An Garda Síochána . We are talking to Cork's own  Christina Desmond , who is set to make her professional debut on October 10 at the National Stadium on the  'A New...

Well now, who saw that coming? Lewis Crocker beat Paddy Donovan for the second time in 2025 to claim the IBF world welterweight title in Belfast on Saturday night. The first fight in March came his way after The Real Deal was disqualified. The Croc – who was written off by everyone coming into the rematch – scored two knockdowns this time around at Windsor Park, yet there were still howls of contr...

Kevin Byrne catches up with Jason Quigley, Kieran Molloy, Niall Barrett and Jay Byrne to preview a huge night in both Irish and world boxing as Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan rematch for a world title, Callum Walsh takes the next step up in his career and Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez face off in the blockbuster fight of 2025 on September 13. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Paddy Donovan and Andy Lee are the special guests for this week's episode as our host, Kevin Byrne, headed to Team Donovan HQ in Ballybrack ahead of the highly anticipated World Title fight between Donovan and Lewis Crocker at Windsor Park in September. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part Two of our fascinating conversation with Brian McKeown, the focus shifts to his incredible legacy in Cavan. After a challenging early life and a tumultuous return home, Brian details how he established the now-legendary Cavan Boxing Club. He recounts the journey of developing champions like John Joe Nevin, Ceire Smith and Andrew Murray, a path that incredibly led one of his fighters all th...

Today's episode is a special one, a powerful reminder that the Rocky Road of boxing isn't just about what happens inside the ropes, but the profound human connections forged outside them. We travelled to Drogheda to meet an extraordinary group of guests: a team of Palestinian boxers, mainly from the El Barrio club in Ramallah, who have just completed a poignant and inspiring tour of Ireland, from...

Michael Conlan’s on The Rocky Road to Dublin. Host Kevin remembers his first time seeing the precocious Belfast teenager in action at the National Stadium, sweeping to Irish senior glory in the 2011 final at 52kg on the same night when a 17-year-old Joe Ward shocked Kenneth Egan in the 81kg decider. A year later, Mick became an Olympic medallist in London and when he was named RTE Sportsperson of...

In Part One of his extraordinary interview on The Rocky Road, we sit down with legendary Cavan Boxing Gym coach, Brian McKeown. Brian takes us back to the 1960s, a time when he sought opportunity in London. He recounts finding an unlikely sanctuary and a mentor in George Francis's gym, a rare beacon of inclusivity in an era notoriously marked by 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish' prejudice. But Brian'...

Andrew Murray, the quiet Cavan boxer, walked a Rocky Road unlike any other. As a child, he battled Perthes disease, and, despite doctors warning he could end up in a wheelchair if he boxed, the young Andrew was transfixed by Eubank and Benn, igniting an unyielding desire to step between the ropes. He defied medical caution, joining Cavan Boxing Club, and rose to become a three-time Irish Elite cha...

Now as Katie Taylor basks in the glory of her latest victory over Amanda Serrano, cementing an epic trilogy with a third win over her great rival, the boxing world is wondering, ‘what’s next?’ But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it’s worth staying in the moment for just a little while longer. Today’s guest, Katie’s dad Pete Taylor, coached her throughout her amateur career but told us so...

The biggest fight in women's boxing is just days away. On this episode of The Rocky Road, we dive deep into  Taylor-Serrano III  – the historic Netflix showdown at Madison Square Garden on July 11. We'll preview the action, break down the 2-0 scoreline, and explore all the angles. We're joined for this special episode by  Sinead Babington , the Irish maths and chemistry teacher who...

Katie Taylor says she doesn't  need  this fight, but Amanda Serrano certainly does! On July 11, at Madison Square Garden, the two titans clash for Taylor-Serrano III – live on Netflix to a global audience of potentially tens of millions. Join Kevin Byrne and producer Simon Maguire on The Rocky Road as they dissect this historic trilogy. We'll examine why Taylor, despite being 2-0 up (24-...