Guest
Undisputedly, Barry McGuigan was one of the best boxers of his generation. As an amateur, he won a multitude of titles, at the tender age of 17 he took the gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and as a Professional he won the British, European and World Titles. On a memorable, balmy night in June 1985, a television audience of twenty million watched as McGuigan achieved his dream and became Featherweight Champion of the World by defeating Eusebio Pedroza, voted ‘Fight of the Year’ by British Boxing Board of Control. His amazing performance later captured him another title of BBC Sports Personality of the Year. McGuigan was voted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005. McGuigan’s popularity transcended the sport of boxing and his fights became family occasions, uniting people across sectarian and religious divides during a troubled time in the country’s political history. A Catholic, Barry married his Protestant childhood sweetheart, Sandra Mealiff in
