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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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Parnell commemorated in Beaufort on 125th Anniversary of Land League meeting

A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands […]

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A special ceremony was held in Beaufort to mark the 125th anniversary of Charles Stewart Parnell’s historic visit to the village in 1880, when the Irish nationalist leader addressed thousands at a pivotal land reform meeting.

The commemoration, which took place beside the Beaufort Bar, honoured the legacy of the former MP and founder of the Irish National Land League.
The original meeting was held in a field belonging to Patrick O’Sullivan and attracted a crowd of approximately 3,000, defying the orders of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony’ of Dunloe Castle, who had threatened eviction to any tenant who supported the gathering.
Padruig O’Sullivan, proprietor of the Beaufort Bar and a direct descendant of Patrick O’Sullivan, addressed attendees at the unveiling of a new monument to mark the occasion.
The stone was designed by renowned uilleann piper and artist Tomás O’Sullivan, who also composed a special piece of music titled Parnell’s Blackbird to honour the occasion.
The original 1880 meeting was reported in publications such as the ‘Dundalk Democrat’, which gave a vivid account of the powerful speeches delivered that day.

Extract from the Dundalk Democrat – May 1880

The meeting, held on Sunday, May 16, 1880 in Patrick O’Sullivan’s field south of the Beaufort Hotel, was arranged in defiance of local landlord ‘The O’Mahony,’ who warned tenants they would be evicted for taking part. Nevertheless, the turnout was overwhelming.
Parnell arrived by special train and travelled by carriage from Killarney with fellow MP ‘The O’Donoghue’. The two were met by a band and a large welcoming crowd. Police and a Government reporter were present, but the atmosphere remained peaceful and spirited.
Speakers rallied against the unjust land laws of the time. ‘The O’Donoghue’ praised Parnell as the “shining star” of Irish nationalism and stated that “Kerry desired that her meeting should partake of a national character.”
When Parnell spoke, he described it as “the largest land meeting he had attended since County Mayo” and declared the movement to reclaim Irish land as one of the greatest undertakings in Irish history. He condemned the laws that allowed landlords to evict tenants and seize food as rent payment, noting that 600,000 farmers were subject to the whims of just 10,000 landlords.
He called for legislative reform, including the suspension of evictions and Government-backed tenant purchase schemes, warning that if Parliament failed to act, “the people will do for themselves what the Legislature refuses to do for them.”
He concluded by proposing the first resolution.
“That in the opinion of this meeting, the eviction of occupiers of land for non-payment of rent arbitrarily fixed by the landlord is unjust, subversive of the true interests of the country and calls for the emphatic condemnation of all lovers of justice.”

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St Pauls sign American Maisie Burnham

Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season. The club, who performed strongly in the latter […]

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Killarney’s Utility Trust St Pauls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of American player Maisie Burnham for the upcoming 2025/2026 season.

The club, who performed strongly in the latter part of the recent season and reached the league final, is looking to build on that success.
Maisie Burnham, a 24-year-old, six-foot-tall guard from Spangle City, Washington, comes to Killarney with a strong playing record. During her time at Liberty High School, where she also played volleyball, she was a high-scoring player.
She then went to Eastern Washington University, where in the 2020/2021 season, she led the team in scoring with over 14 points per game, a record for a freshman player at the university.
Burnham later moved to the University of Portland, where her scoring average continued to improve, reaching a peak of 16.3 points per game in the 2024/2025 season.
Utility Trust St Pauls say they are looking forward to welcoming Maisie to Killarney well in advance of the new season.

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