Famous Locals
Barry McGuigan, "The Clones Cyclone"
Barry McGuigan ("The Clones Cyclone") is probably one
of Monaghan's most famous sons. Barry began boxing,and went on to
win many fights including a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games
in 1978. At the age of 20 he turned professional in 1981, but wasn't
to succeed until his fourth professional match going on to win 11
straight matches and a British featherweight title, which he held
for 5 years.
He won the British title, in 1983 knocking out Vernon Penprase
in two rounds. In the same year he won against Lavon McGowan in
Chicago in a first round knockout. Later that year he won the European
featherweight title, defeating Italian Valerio Nati.
In 1985 McGuigan got his chance at a world title with a fight against
7-year champion, Eusebio Pedroza. The fight took place in London
and McGuigan floored the champion in the 7th round and went on to
record a victory.
After a number of years off the scene McGuigan made a comeback
at super featherweight in 1988 and scored 3 successive knockouts.
Following his defeat to to Jim McDonnell, McGuigan announced his
retirement.
Barry McGuigan's record stands at 35 fights, 32 wins and 3 defeats.
Barry McGuigan is now well known for his commentary and appearances
on British television.
Patrick Kavanagh
 Patrick Kavanagh was born (1904) and raised in the townland of
Mucker, Inniskeen. The oldest of ten children, he followed in his
father's footsteps - a cobbler and small farmer. His formal education
ended at the age of twelve, but he carried on with his own special
interest in literature and writing poetry and sometimes had his
poems published in the Dundalk Democrat and Weekly Independent.
He worked as a cobbler-farmer until his father died 1929. Soon
after Kavanagh left the parish of Inniskeen and moved to Dublin
in the hope of developing his writing career. His home community
doubted his ability to write and he was branded an outcast.
The move to Dublin in 1930 was not much of an improvement, as competition
among new writers was high. However, with the help of the editor
of the Irish Statesman, George Russell, Kavanagh's career blossomed.
In 1937, Kavanagh moved to London in search of literary work. There
he wrote and published the autobiographical 'The Green Fool' in
1938.
Kavanagh returned to Dublin in August 1939 where he worked as a
journalist. In the early forties his poems began to attract attention.
In 1942, 'The Great Hunger' appeared in 'Horizon', a literary magazine
- the Gardai seized all copies, on the order of the Minister of
Justice, as the poem was alleged to be obscene. It now seen as the
highest point in Kavanagh's artistic development! The novel 'Tarry
Flynn' was published in 1948.
Patrick Kavanagh became seriously ill in 1967 and died of pneumonia
in Dublin on the 30th November 1967. He is buried in Inniskeen.
The Patrick Kavanagh Rural and Literary Resource Centre celebrates
the life and work of Patrick Kavanagh. For more information you
can visit the website here.
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