Childhood memories have had ‘profound effect on me’, says Barry McGuigan

BARRY McGuigan has been a fighter all his life.
The former world featherweight champion from Clones has experienced many personal blows; his father’s death in 1987, his uncle’s alcoholism, his brother’s suicide.  
But each time he was knocked down he got up again, true to form.
It was somewhat apt that the esteemed former boxer got involved in Jawbone, a sobering film about an alcoholic boxer who returns for one last night when his life hits rock bottom.
Mr. McGuigan and his son Shane, coach of Carl Frampton and David Haye, were behind the preparation of actor Johnny Harris for his role in the new film.
For The Clones Cyclone the story of overcoming addiction and heartache and finding happiness resonated with him and all he experienced while growing up on the Fermanagh-Monaghan Border.
“I think this is a great story; it’s life, it’s what happened and everybody’s life is not rosy in the garden. 
“Often we have difficulties and we have troubles which we can overcome if we all stick together and work hard as a family,” Mr. McGuigan told The Impartial Reporter.
In the film Jimmy played by Harris is an alcoholic fighter who, having hit rock bottom, lost his home, and come to blows at a local government office, returns to his childhood boxing club run by gym owner Bill, played by Ray Winstone and cornerman Eddie,played by Michael Smiley. 
Jimmy can train there provided he stays off the alcohol, a struggle that is almost as bruising as anything he’ll experience in the ring. 
“That resonates with everybody.” said Mr. McGuigan. 
“In Ireland we have struggled with addiction with alcoholism, it has been a major problem in Ireland north and south and there has been a resurgence since the crash in 2008. 
“Many families are struggling with alcoholism and that resonates with me,” he said.
Mr. McGuigan recalled that his father and uncle had alcohol problems. 
“I saw it everywhere, it was part of the reason why I never drank alcohol in my life. My mum ran the grocery business in Clones.
“I would regularly see mums coming in with the child on the hip and tears streaming down their faces, they wouldn’t have enough money to pay the groceries, because he [their partners] would have spent the dole money on alcohol. 
“That had a profound effect on me and I thought this is wrong.
“I was always frightened to touch alcohol because of that,” he said. 
Jawbone has received rave reviews since its release last week.
“Johnny has real gravitas, he’s one of the best actors around. He tells a story of how boxing can be like a second family to you. 
“The story of going out into the gym and getting his life back together,” explained Mr. McGuigan.
“My job was to make the fight scene as believable as I could. You see so many of these fight scenes in films and they are really over exaggerated and over the top and there is no way you would walk away from some of those fights. 
“Often it gets over the top so what we did is put in as many real punches as we could. 
“I said it would be worth it in the end and it was. There is a part of this movie that everybody will be able to relate to. 
“There are many parts that I connected with,” he said.
Mr. McGuigan describes boxing as “the honesty business.”
“It’s life in a 12 round fight. Half a second and you’re knocked out, you’re looking up at the stars and it’s over,” he said. 
His brutal honesty is one of the reasons why he is still as popular and as busy as ever. 
Over the next three weeks ‘Fight Game: The McGuigans’, a new BBC fly on the wall documentary, follows the family and the fortunes of star fighter Carl Frampton and other boxers in the Cyclone stable including Coalisland fighter, Conrad Cummings. 
Over the course of three programmes, the first of which aired last night (Wednesday), viewers will get unprecedented access to the McGuigan and Frampton families in the run up to and during both fights provides an insight into the world of boxing.
The series also provides a candid, glimpse into Mr. McGuigan and features frank and revealing interviews, including a visit to his mum Katie as he reminisces about growing up in Clones.