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 Kelleher. It’s not just a tribute to the Rebel County’s achievements in the ring but a testament to the impact Irishmen and women have made all over the world in the squared circle. The museum contains pieces from across the amateur and professional domains, from Mick Leahy’s Lonsdale belt to Zaur Antia’s tracksuit from Paris 2024, where Kellie Harrington won her second Olympic gold medal in a row. The lads tell the story of Paddy Kenny, who boxed at the Rome Olympics in 1960 and is said to have shared a dressing room with a young Cassius Clay, and the ‘Yank’, Maurice Walsh, an American football coach who formed a boxing dynasty after moving to Cork – with treasured artefacts from both. There's so much more besides, including the hurling corner which is something of a shrine to Glen man, Christy Ring. If Walls Could Talk, this place would burn the ear off any Irish sports fan for a week, but listeners can instead enjoy Tommy and Mick’s guide to a unique attraction on Leeside.
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