The Rocky Road
Episodes
Ryan O'Rourke - Star is Rising
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Byrne caught up with Ryan O'Rourke before his fight against Alex Vargas on April 17th was announced.O’Rourke is not easily dissuaded. At 26 ye...
Anthony Cacace's Dublin Delight
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
‘Ohh, Anto Cacace’ came the chant at the end of a blistering night in Dublin that saw the Belfast man crowned a two-time world champion. The Apach...
Belfast Brawl - Michael Conlan v Kevin Walsh
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Belfast’s Michael Conlan and Brockton’s Kevin Walsh meet at the SSE Arena on March 20, with the stakes sky-high for both men. ...
Kelsey Leonard - Off To A Flyer
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kelsey Leonard has got off to a flyer in professional boxing. Fittingly, that’s exactly how she started as an amateur: spotting a flyer at...
Gary Cully - Back To Work
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Cully could write a book about what’s happened since he last joined us. He’d have a chapter on the best win of his career and perhaps his wor...
Paddy Gallagher - The Final Four
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After one bender too many, one doghouse too many, Paddy Gallagher decided enough was enough. He was quitting the gargle for good. But when he made tha...
Paul Ryan - Resilience
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
‘Ravishing’ Paul Ryan tells us about, er, descending from a boxing Hall of Famer in Tipp’s ‘Trojan Giant’ Paddy Ryan, giving himself his own...
John Cooney - One Year On
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
John Cooney died in February 2025 after suffering a brain injury during the first defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title against Nathan Howel...
King Kong v Posh Boy
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is The Rocky Road to Dublin, Part 3. It’s going to be a big night of boxing at the 3Arena on March 14, headlined by the world title fight betwe...
St. Pierce's Day
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
St Pierce's Day weekend is coming. It’s going to be a big night of boxing at the 3Arena on March 14, headlined by the world title fight between Anth...
Anthony Cacace v Jazza Dickens
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Anto Cacace is starving. And not just for the Nando’s he’s been waiting all day for. The former IBF world super-featherweight hit The Rocky Road t...
Feargal McCrory – ‘Don’t Miss Your Chance’
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new boxing year is upon us and a slew of Irish fighters are looking to break those chains and bring home some major titles. Among them is Tyrone tit...
Wayne McCullough - WBC World Bantamweight Champion
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty (and a bit) years on from winning the WBC world bantamweight in Japan, Wayne McCullough sits down for a Christmas chat with The Rocky Road. We ...
If Walls Could Talk - Cork Boxing Museum
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Tomás MacCurtain Boxing Museum opened in Cork last year, and The Rocky Road went for a guided tour with father-and-son duo, Tommy and Mick K...
Kieran Joyce - Cork's 'Boxer of the Century' - Part 2
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of The Rocky Road with Kieran Joyce, Cork’s Boxer of the Century, we tell the story of his career from the 1984 Olympics onwards, from Los...
Kieran Joyce - Cork's 'Boxer of the Century' - Part 1
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kieran Joyce was named as Cork’s Boxer of the Century in 2014. A product of the Sunnyside Boxing Club, he boxed for Ireland at the 1984 and 1988 Oly...
Tommy Kelleher - The Godfather of Cork Boxing
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Rocky Road took a trip to the Rebel County to sit down with the Godfather of Cork Boxing, Tommy Kelleher. He’s been coaching for five decades an...
Zaur Antia - Your Work Here Is Done
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zaur Antia – your mission is complete. You created universal boxers and delivered medals by the bucketload. Ten Olympic medals came Ireland’s way ...
Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn 2 Preview
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Veteran boxing journalist Wally Downes Jr of The Sun joins The Rocky Road to break down this Saturday’s rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Be...
Tommy Hyde - Homecoming
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Undefeated contender Tommy Hyde (13-0) joins The Rocky Road after conquering rings in America, Australia and Spain since his last fight in Cork. We ta...
Conrad Cummings - Life After the Final Bell
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re joined by a man who was once a five-time Irish amateur champion, a World Series of Boxing star, and a professional middleweight known for his ...
Peter O'Donnell & Jim Moore remembered
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish boxing has suffered a profound loss, mourning two men who dedicated their lives to the sport and shaped generations of champions. Today, we paus...
A New Dawn in Irish Boxing
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What. A. Night. JB Boxing Promotions promised the most competitive all-Irish card in years and it certainly delivered in Dublin's National Stadium. Th...
Spike O'Sullivan - Back to Work
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He's back! At 41, Cork's own Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan joins us on The Rocky Road as he prepares for his 38th professional fight. He's back for one reas...
Christina Desmond - Rebel Rising
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we sit down with a boxer who faces a unique challenge, balancing two of the most disciplined jobs in the country. She's a top-tier amateur star...
Lewis Crocker: World Champion
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Well now, who saw that coming? Lewis Crocker beat Paddy Donovan for the second time in 2025 to claim the IBF world welterweight title in Belfast on Sa...
The Big Fights Preview
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Byrne catches up with Jason Quigley, Kieran Molloy, Niall Barrett and Jay Byrne to preview a huge night in both Irish and world boxing as Lewis ...
Paddy Donovan - Eyes on the Prize
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paddy Donovan and Andy Lee are the special guests for this week's episode as our host, Kevin Byrne, headed to Team Donovan HQ in Ballybrack ahead of t...
Brian McKeown - A Rocky Road: Part 2
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part Two of our fascinating conversation with Brian McKeown, the focus shifts to his incredible legacy in Cavan. After a challenging early life and...
On the road with the Palestine Boxing Team
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is a special one, a powerful reminder that the Rocky Road of boxing isn't just about what happens inside the ropes, but the profound h...
Mick Conlan - The Last Roll of the Dice
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Conlan’s on The Rocky Road to Dublin. Host Kevin remembers his first time seeing the precocious Belfast teenager in action at the National S...
Brian McKeown - A Rocky Road: Part 1
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Part One of his extraordinary interview on The Rocky Road, we sit down with legendary Cavan Boxing Gym coach, Brian McKeown. Brian takes us back to...
Andy Murray - The Quiet Man
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Murray, the quiet Cavan boxer, walked a Rocky Road unlike any other. As a child, he battled Perthes disease, and, despite doctors warning he co...
Pete Taylor - Footprints
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Now as Katie Taylor basks in the glory of her latest victory over Amanda Serrano, cementing an epic trilogy with a third win over her great rival, the...
Sinead Babington - The Road Less Travelled
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The biggest fight in women's boxing is just days away. On this episode of The Rocky Road, we dive deep into Taylor-Serrano III – the histo...
Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano 3 - The Final Chapter
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Taylor says she doesn't need this fight, but Amanda Serrano certainly does! On July 11, at Madison Square Garden, the two titans clash...
When Muhammad Ali fought at Croke Park
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re going back to a time when the greatest show on earth came to Ireland. It was July 1972, and against all odds — and with the help of a ...
Barry McGuigan v Eusebio Pedroza - One Night in Loftus Road
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re going back 40 years to one of the most iconic nights in Irish sporting history. On June 8, 1985, at Loftus Road in London, Barry McGuigan beca...
Andy Clarke - The Knockout
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode pulls no punches. Joining us is someone whose voice you know from Sky Sports — a man who’s been ringside for some of boxing...
John Duddy - Part 2 - The Pro Years
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland’s John Duddy fought nine times at Madison Square Garden between 2005 and 2010 – winning them all – and lost just twice in a 31-fight car...
Eoghan Lavin - On The Up
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the heart of Swinford, County Mayo to the bright lights of the British boxing scene — today we welcome a rising Irish star who’s making waves...
Anthony Cacace - For a Few Dollars More
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From underdog to world-beater, from waiting in the wings to centre stage — Anthony Cacace has flipped the script on what we thought was possible in ...
Daniel 'Daniel San' O'Sullivan - Only Way Is Up
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the corner of the gym to the centre of the ring, today's guest has made one of the more quietly remarkable transitions in Irish boxing. Daniel 'D...
Back With a Bang: Caoimhin Agyarko Reloaded
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two fights. Two wins. One big message: he’s back. Belfast’s Caoimhin Agyarko returns to The Rocky Road to talk about his comeback a...
Aaron & Fergal McKenna - Premier League boxing
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s fight week, and The Rocky Road takes you inside the McKenna camp ahead of Aaron’s massive showdown with former world champion Liam ...
The Rocky Road to Los Angeles
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After months of uncertainty, Irish boxing has taken a decisive step forward. On this episode of The Rocky Road, Kevin Byrne is joined by Niall O’...
Ron Katz - Legendary Matchmaker
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's guest is a New York and Atlantic City Hall of Fame member as a matchmaker. He's spent half a century in the sport and has worked with everyone...
Donald McRae - All Punched Out
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
‘Boxing has a perverse way of turning every significant bout I see into something deeply personal. It is as crooked and as destructive as it is magn...
Glenn Byrne - Focused on Fighting
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Glenn Byrne is an unbeaten professional boxer fighting out of Dublin/Wicklow. The younger brother of Jay Byrne, his manager, promoter and trainer, Gle...
Senan Kelly - Time To Shine
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Senan Kelly is from Leixlip, Co Kildare. Currently the Irish welterweight champion, he will defend his title against Dublin's Declan Geraghty at the N...
200th Episode Special: John Duddy - Part 1
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Rocky Road hits its 200th episode during Paddy’s week – so who better to have on than the King of New York himself, Ireland’s John Dudd...
Bedlam in Belfast - Crocker vs Donovan
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Byrne is joined by Irish Boxing's Joe O'Neill to reflect on a wild night in Belfast after Paddy Donovan was disqualified in controversial circum...
Bivol Brilliance, Benn Boils - with Wally Downes Jr
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining us today is The Sun’s short boxing writer who loves a tall fistic tale, whether it’s roasting hot in York Hall or self-loathing in Las Veg...
Michael Conlan - The Last Dance
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s always a pleasure to talk boxing with today’s guest, Mick Conlan - and the response we get everytime we have him on, shows that listeners rel...
Robbie Murray - The Future of Boxing
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robbie Murray is a former undefeated professional boxer who defied the odds to achieve success in the ring. As a boy, he battled severe asthma and dep...
Stephen Ormond - A New Era Begins
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stephen Ormond, known as The Rock during his fighting career, knows all about The Rocky Road in boxing. A teenage elite champion who comes from a boxi...
Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan - Team Crocker
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The hugely anticipated Irish domestic clash between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan is only weeks away and we've caught up with both camps ahead of th...
Lewis Crocker v Paddy Donovan - Team Donovan
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The hugely anticipated Irish domestic fight between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan is only weeks away and we've caught up with both camps ahead of th...
2024 Irish Boxing Year in Review
28 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Christmas from all of us at The Rocky Road! It's been a big year for the podcast and to round out the campaign, here's our 2024 Year in Review s...
Oleksandr Usyk - The Greatest of his Time
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What more can be said about the genius of Oleksandr Usyk? The Ukrainian got the better of Tyson Fury in their heavyweight championship rematch in Riya...
Jay Byrne - Making Fights
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jay Byrne is a former Irish boxer and current manager, trainer and promoter. Having just put on his seventh show in just over 12 months in Dublin, he'...
Podge and Rod
26 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Look, his mother was all over the shop, I had to ring Paschal, Spike, Craig O’Brien, right, and Big Niall Kennedy, ‘Do us a favour lads, will you...
Katie Taylor - Bray Bomber Wins Again
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
‘This how she fight – head down, balls to the wall!’ Roy Jones Jr is on The Rocky Road this week as we reflect on the epic second fight between ...
Kieran Farrell - The Story So Far
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with Kieran Farrell. In Part 1 we spoke about his part in Daniel Dubois’ stunning destruction of Anthony Joshua a...
Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano 2 Preview
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano – the rematch is here. We’re joined today by Gavan Casey from The 42, who’s chronicled so much of Taylor’s caree...
Jimmy Halpin - Always Working the Pads
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Jimmy is a great coach, loved him when he travelled to international training camps with Ireland, great pad man.” When you’re getting praise li...
Kellie McLoughlin - The Fight of her Life
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kellie McLoughlin is a three-time Irish champion boxer who’s looking to make the breakthrough to win her first Elite crown. Standing in her way is t...
Kieran Farrell - Cornering Daniel Dubois
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One kid’s named after former world heavyweight champ Joe Frazier, another’s named after… Irish Olympian Jude Gallagher. That’s Kieran Farrell,...
Lee Gormley - The Writer Fighter
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s guest is doing things a bit back to front. Mostly boxers will finish their careers before going into the media – but Lurgan man Lee Go...
Steve Bunce - Calling the Shots
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Steve Bunce has spent 40 years writing and talking about boxing for just about every newspaper and magazine in Britain – and just about every TV and...
Ryan Burnett - Ecstasy and Agony
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 with Ryan Burnett, he's a man on the brink. After years of hard work, bordering on obsessiveness, he's about to reach the pinnacle. But winn...
Mercedas Taaffe-Cooper - Breaking Barriers
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mercedas Taaffe-Cooper is an Irish boxing pioneer. A competitor in the 90s when female fighters were thin on the ground, she sparred with Deirdre...
Thomas Carty - Bombs Away
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a heavyweight special today as we’re joined by Ireland’s top man in the showbiz division, undefeated Dublin banger Thomas ‘The Bomber’ ...
Ryan Burnett - Origins
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan Burnett reckons the secret to his boxing success was always asking, 'Why?' A superb athlete who could carry out instructions to the letter, he wa...
Anthony Cacace - The Pride of Belfast
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anto Cacace is the feel-good story of Irish pro boxing this year. Or any other year to be fair. He's always had class but Cacace has never had mu...
Pierce O'Leary - Sheriff of Dublin, Part 2
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with rising star Pierce O'Leary. Last time we took a stroll around the Docklands as Big Bang told us all about grow...
Pierce O'Leary - Sheriff of Dublin, Part 1
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're in Sheriff Street in Dublin's capital for Part 1 of an interview with local hero Pierce O'Leary. We take a walk around with unbeaten w...
Kellie Harrington - Celebration Once Again
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kellie Harrington is the double Olympic lightweight champion. Let's state that again. Kellie Harrington is the back-to-back Olympic champion. The firs...
Paul Griffin: The Pro Years - Part 2
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Griffin was training under Brendan Ingle, alongside world featherweight champ Prince Naseem Hamed, promoted by Frank Warren and about to put his ...
Paul Griffin: The Pro Years - Part 1
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We love Paul Griffin here at The Rocky Road. He's been on twice before - for the 30th anniversary of his epic 1991 European gold medal, and 30 years o...
Michael Conlan - I'm Not Leaving
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Conlan is not leaving. After a devastating 2023 in which he lost his second world title shot to Luis Alberto Lopez - followed by defeat agains...
To Paris with Glove - Aoife O'Rourke and Jenny Lehane
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From July 27 to August 10, we'll be all about Olympic boxing once again. Ireland will send a 10-strong team to Paris 2024 with every boxer there dream...
To Paris with Glove - Jude Gallagher and Dean Clancy
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From July 27 to August 10, we'll be all about Olympic boxing once again. Ireland will send a 10-strong team to Paris 2024 with every boxer there dream...
To Paris with Glove - Daina Moorehouse and Grainne Walsh
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From July 27 to August 10, we'll be all about Olympic boxing once again. Ireland will send a 10-strong team to Paris 2024 with every boxer there dream...
Olympic Qualifiers - Going for Gold
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re all on a high at the minute after four more boxers booked their ticket to Paris 2024. It means Ireland have qualified a record ten boxers for ...
John Joe Nevin - Origins
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Joe Nevin is one of Ireland’s greatest ever amateur boxers - and some would say THE greatest. He completed the full set of medals - two World C...
Joe Ward and 'Big' Joe Joyce - Part 3
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Rocky Road paid a visit to Moate, Co Westmeath for a conversation we've been waiting a few years to have. Joe Ward is one of the finest boxers eve...
Niall Barrett - Behind the Scenes
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week The Rocky Road returns to Naas and we’re putting our money where our mouth is. We know Gary Cully and Co train hard but it’s time to see...
Young Guns - Brandon McCarthy and Paul Loonam
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Rocky Road we sat down for a chat with rising stars Paul Loonam and Brandon McCarthy at UNIT 3 in Naas. Friends since their early day...
John Joe Nevin - Back on Track
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John Joe Nevin is on the comeback trail. Out of the ring since 2019, he’s signed a new management deal with a Las Vegas-based fight fixer and is rea...
Gary Cully - Bouncing Back
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Cully knows all about The Rocky Road at this stage. With massive momentum at his back, he went into 2023 certain that he was on the fast track to...
Joe Ward and 'Big' Joe Joyce - Part 2
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Rocky Road paid a visit to Moate, Co Westmeath for a conversation we've been waiting a few years to have. Joe Ward is one of the finest boxers eve...
Joe Ward and 'Big' Joe Joyce - Part 1
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Rocky Road paid a visit to Moate, Co Westmeath for a conversation we've been waiting a few years to have. Joe Ward is one of the finest boxers eve...
Kevin McBride - The Clones Colossus
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy St Patrick's Day from The Rocky Road - and from Kevin McBride. The Clones Colossus is someone we've wanted to have on since the start and we fin...
Kevin Cronin - The Kingdom Warrior
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kerry boxer Kevin Cronin, AKA The Kingdom Warrior, is feeling excited ahead of a double debut on Paddy's weekend. He's off to Dorchester, Mass, for hi...
March Madness
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Spike O'Sullivan drops by the pod this week ahead of March madness. St Paddy's weekend is looking like one of Irish boxing's busiest ever with fi...
Olympic Qualifiers - The Italian Job
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eight Irish boxers are gearing up for a tournament that could be life-changing: Martin McDonagh, Kelyn Cassidy, Aidan Walsh, Jude Gallagher, Sean Mari...
Luke Keeler - Cool Hands
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest, Luke Keeler, feels he has unfinished business in the ring - so last year he decided to embark on a comeback. From Ballyfermot in...
Where's Waldo?
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s guest Dee Walsh shocked the Irish boxing scene when he hung up his gloves aged just 26 back in 2015. At that stage he looked like a poss...
Anthony Cacace - Chasing Glory
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s guest, Anthony Cacace, fights champ Joe Cordina for the IBF world super-featherweight title in Saudi Arabia on February 17 as part of the Ol...