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Lee was precise, methodical and utterly ruthless

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Fighter is a new book which gives us an insight into the mind of Andy Lee, who was the WBO middleweight champion from 2014-2015, the first Irish professional boxer to win a world title on American soil since 1934. He also represented Ireland in the 2004 Olympics in his amateur days. The memoirs are published by Gill Books are ghosted by Niall Kelly, who wrote Philly McMahon’s autobiography The Choice.

A boxer’s style reflects his personality and at his best in the ring he is measured, thoughtful and strategic. But when it comes to it, Andy Lee does not back down. He says then you see him become stubborn, determined, headstrong, even borderline reckless at times. “Never question my heart for the fight. I won’t back down. I won’t shy away. If you want to go to war, let’s go to war.”

His introduction to boxing began at 8 years of age when he joined the Repton Boxing club in London. The family moved to Limerick and he joined the St Francis ABC in Limerick. His pinnacle as an amateur was the 2004 Olympics. He signed his first professional contract with Emanuel Steward in 2005 and made the move to Detroit where he trained in the renowned Kronk Gym until Steward died suddenly in 2012. Then Lee joined up with the English trainer Adam Booth. Andy retired in February 2018 and now lives in Dublin with his wife and daughter.
It is very hard to weigh up how finely a boxer’s life is balanced. It sits on a knife’s edge where one punch can change everything. Your entire life, your health, your happiness and your career is bound up in these decisions that make up every second you are in the ring. Lee ponders his life pattern and it is hard to know why a life turns out the way it does. Maybe you make your own fate. Maybe it’s your own destiny.

He was making good progress until life threw up new challenges to him in 2012. His career was moving along nicely when Lee suffered two devastating blows in quick succession. First the defeat in his World Championship, and then the sudden loss of Steward, his guide and confidante over so many years.

Lee reflects on those key moments in a fight. When your good body shot lands, you can hear it too. You hear the dull thud as the punch connects, and then that desperate, futile reach for breath as the muscles go into shock. You hear the air go out of them, not in the slow hiss of a burst ball, but in panicked gasps. Then you have to take full advantage of your opponent’s moment of weakness, your moment of strength and make sure that the balance of power never finds equilibrium again.

In these moments the best boxer has the instincts of a cold-blooded killer. Precise. Methodical. Completely devoid of all emotion. Utterly ruthless. That mindset made Andy Lee the successful boxer both as an amateur and as a professional. Fighter is a lyrical and philosophical memoir of Andy Lee. Niall Kelly captures the resilience, bravery and the wisdom to be found in the limits of human experience.

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Con O’Leary: Killarney loses a vibrant and popular personality

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the […]

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Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce has led the tributes to the late Con O’Leary, an extremely popular and very successful businessman in the town, who passed away in the early hours of Sunday.

Con was a vibrant and popular personality in Killarney where he operated The Laurels on Main Street, a thriving bar and restaurant, which he inherited following the passing of his father, Thado.
The business organisation said from a social perspective, The Laurels became the beating heart of the town and it was a landmark at the Market Cross in the same way as Clery’s clock was in the capital city.
Chamber said Con’s passing really marks the end of an era as he was one of a golden age of inspirational local business people who developed and built Killarney, through hard work, bravery and great commercial flair, and helped create the wonderful tourist attraction and holiday destination it is today.
“Con was very proud of Killarney and he played a very active part in progressing the town at many levels.
“He was a man that was never short of great ideas and his contribution to the business life of the town and as a director of Killarney Race Company was immense,” Chamber said.
“He was ahead of his time in many respects with the introduction by what became known as “the singing lounge” many years ago and The Laurels always led by example through its successes in the annual Killarney Looking Good competition”.
The business representative organisation noted that the O’Leary family has always been very supporting of the town and Con’s daughter, Kate, was a very dynamic Chamber President and is still a very valued member of the executive.
Chamber expressed deep sympathy to Con’s wife, Anne, children Kate, Niall, Tara and Lorna, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, relatives and friends as well as the dedicated staff in The Laurels, past and present, who Con always had great time for and a great rapport with.

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All Roads Lead To Kerry For National Road Safety Conference

Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29. The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event […]

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Kerry County Council is to host a two-day road safety conference at the INEC Killarney on May 28 and 29.

The ‘Safer Roads’ road safety conference is an inter-agency event focused on improving road safety, reducing traffic-related incidents, and sharing knowledge and best practices for safer road use. It encompasses various strategies and efforts across multiple domains, including road design, engineering, enforcement, forensic collision investigation, technology, education, collision trends, occupational driving, cycling and scooting, e-mobility, active & sustainable travel and on-road events.

In addition to this, AI, Virtual Reality and Driver Simulation will play a significant role at the conference, in improving safety by predicting and preventing accidents, optimizing traffic, and aiding the development of autonomous vehicles.

This ‘Safer Roads’ conference is a non-public event where road safety professionals, speakers and service providers from across Ireland, other EU countries and the UK will attend, including transportation experts, government and local authority officials, roads policing and vehicle inspection agencies, road safety advocates, educators and promoters, collision responders, cycling bodies and community safety networks.

Kerry County Council’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh said:
“Road safety has evolved over the years to a much broader scope, in terms of e-mobility, sustainability, technology and engineering for instance. It’s not just about the road or the vehicle anymore, but also about how technology, human behaviour, enforcement, and education intersect to reduce risks and prevent collisions. The ‘Safer Roads’ conference will involve and include every branch of the road safety tree, right across the board, and in doing so, we aim to increase road safety awareness, improve road user behaviour and decrease the collisions and carnage we see on our roads every day,”

The two-day conference also provides an opportunity for exhibitors to attend, and interested state bodies, businesses and service providers are invited to exhibit at the event to showcase their products and services and engage with delegates and officials at the conference.

Further information about the conference and how to register or exhibit can be found here. https://www.kerrycoco.ie/safer-roads-road-safety-conference/

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