10 Most Famous Irish Boxers of All Time

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When it comes to sports close to the Irish people’s hearts, boxing definitely takes the spotlight. Ireland has won 31 Olympic medals in total, and the boxers are the ones who’ve made a big chunk of that achievement with 16 medals, including two gold ones.

Both Ireland and Northern Ireland have produced world champions, covering a wide span from the early days of boxing to the present era. Some of the most famous Irish boxers have achieved fame and glory not only in their home country, but also on the international stage.

Here is a list of the 10 most famous Irish boxers who have made their mark on the history of the sport.

 

10 Most Famous Irish Boxers of All Time

1. Jimmy McLarnin

Born in Hillsborough, County Down, Ireland, in 1907, Jimmy McLarnin was was three years old when his family moved to Saskatchewan, Canada via Liverpool.

Nicknamed “Baby Face,” McLarnin was a two-time world welterweight champion who had turned professional in 1923. He won his first world title in 1933, lost the title in 1934, and regained it in a rematch later that year. He lost the title again in 1935. He retired the following year with a record of 55 wins (21 by knockout), 11 losses, and 3 draws.

Jimmy McLarnin was honored with induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the year 1991.

2. Rinty Monaghan

Rinty Monaghan was a charismatic fighter who would often sing to the crowd after his bouts.

Born John Joseph Monaghan on August 21, 1918, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, he earned the nickname “Rinty” because of his love for dogs. When he was a child, he frequently brought home injured dogs, which led his grandmother to nickname him Rin Tin Tin, after the famous film dog. She later shortened it to “Rinty.”

Monaghan’s professional boxing career started in 1932. He won the National Boxing Association world title in 1947 and the undisputed world flyweight title in 1948. He also held the British, Commonwealth, and European flyweight titles.

Rinty Monaghan retired in 1950 due to a long-standing chest complaint. He had a record of 51 wins (19 by knockout), 9 losses, and 6 draws. He received the honor of being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.

3. Barry McGuigan

He was known as “The Clones Cyclone” and was the WBA and lineal featherweight world champion. He was born in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland, but represented both Ireland and the United Kingdom during his career.

McGuigan turned professional in 1981 and won his world title in 1985 by unanimous decision. He defended the title twice before losing it by majority decision in 1986. He retired from the ring in 1989 with a record of 32 wins (28 by knockout) and 3 losses.

In 2005, Barry McGuigan earned a well-deserved place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

4. Katie Taylor

 

Katie Taylor was born on July 2, 1986, in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. She’s had an amazing journey in both amateur and professional boxing, and she’s also got a background in football.

She collected numerous awards during her amateur days, including the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. She is currently the undisputed lightweight champion, holding several titles – WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring magazine. Katie Taylor is also a two-weight world champion, nabbing the WBO junior welterweight title in 2019.

Katie Taylor is widely seen as one of the best female boxers ever, with five World Championships, six European Championships, and one European Union Championship under her belt.

5. Steve Collins

 

Dubbed “The Celtic Warrior” with two world championships in two weight divisions, Steve Collins was born on July 21, 1964, in Dublin, Ireland. He moved to Boston, USA, when he was young.

Collins’ professional boxing career started in 1986. In 1994, he secured his first world title, claiming the WBO super middleweight championship. His dominance was evident as he successfully defended this title on seven occasions.

In 1997, Steve Collins ventured into the light heavyweight division and won the WBO title with an impressive fifth-round knockout. Later that year, he chose to relinquish the title and ultimately retired, leaving behind a remarkable record of 36 victories, 21 of which came by way of knockout, and only three losses. He had never lost a fight as champion.

6. John Joe Nevin

John Joe Nevin, a professional boxer and former star in the amateur ranks, boasts an impressive track record in boxing.

He was born on June 7, 1988, in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland, and turned professional in 2014. He has bagged the WBA International super featherweight title and the WBO Inter-Continental featherweight title as a professional. Nevin boasts a record of 15 wins (4 by knockout) and no losses.

As an amateur, John Joe Nevin won a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics, two silver medals at the World Championships (2009, 2013), and two gold medals at the European Championships (2009, 2013).

7. Carl Frampton

Carl Frampton is nicknamed “The Jackal” and is a three-weight world champion. He was born in Tigers Bay, Belfast, Northern Ireland, on February 21, 1987, and turned professional in 2009.

Frampton won his first world title in 2014 by unanimous decision for the IBF super bantamweight title. He unified the title with the WBA title in 2016 by split decision. He then moved up to featherweight and became a two-weight world champion for the WBA title but lost the title in a rematch  in 2017.

Carl Frampton announced his retirement after a losing match with a record of 28 wins (16 by knockout) and 3 losses.

8. Wayne McCullough

He is also known as “The Pocket Rocket” and is a former world champion in two weight divisions. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on July 7, 1970, and represented Ireland at the 1992 Olympics, where he won a silver medal. He turned professional later that year and won his first world title in 1995 for the WBC bantamweight title.

McCullough defended the title twice before moving up to super bantamweight and challenging for the WBC title in 1997. He lost by split decision but earned respect for his performance. He retired in 2008 with a record of 27 wins (18 by knockout), 7 losses, and no draws.

9. Andy Lee

 

Andy Lee is a former world middleweight champion and a current trainer. He was born in Bow, London, England, to parents from the Irish Traveller community.

In 1998, his family returned to Castleconnell, County Limerick in Ireland. Upon moving to Ireland, Andy Lee and his brothers became members of St. Francis ABC in Limerick, where Lee’s boxing career started to flourish.

Lee represented Ireland at the 2004 Olympics but lost in his first bout. He turned professional later that year and won his first world title in 2014 by knockout in the sixth round for the WBO middleweight title. He defended the title once before losing it in 2015. He retired in 2017 with a record of 35 wins (24 by knockout), 3 losses, and one draw.

10. Kevin McBride

Kevin McBride, a retired Irish professional boxer, gained fame for his 2005 victory over Mike Tyson, which turned out to be Tyson’s last professional bout. McBride was born on May 10, 1973, in Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland.

During his amateur career, Kevin McBride represented Ireland at the 1992 Summer Olympics. His professional boxing record was 35 wins (29 by knockout), 10 losses (7 by knockout), and 1 draw. He fought in the ring from 1992 to 2011.