• 02.02 — Leabhair Books
The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down
Rowman & Littlefield · 2018
Fadliosta Irish Sportsbook of the Year, 2018Irish Sportsbook of the Year Longlist, 2018
I 1977, agus brionglóid aige a bheith ina dhornálaí gairmiúil, thuirling Seán Ó Mainnín — 17 mbliana d'aois — i mBostún as Éirinn, isteach i saol ina raibh smuigléirí gunnaí, díoltóirí drugaí agus na dornálaithe ab fhearr ar domhan. Faoi 1983, bhí Ó Mainnín ar an dornálaí meánmheáchain éadrom ab fhearr rangú sna Stáit Aontaithe.
Insíonn an leabhar seo scéal Uí Mhainnín, idir bhua agus chruatan, taobh istigh agus taobh amuigh den chró dornálaíochta. In ainneoin drochbhainistíochta agus aird mhafia Éireannach Bhostúin, rinne sé a bhealach aníos i gceann de na gráid mheáchain ba iomaíche i stair na dornálaíochta. Ní scéal dornálaíochta amháin atá ann, ach scéal pearsanta a thrasnaíonn ar choirpigh mhóra le rá, ar dhornálaithe den scoth agus ar eachtraí cinniúnacha staire.
I measc na nglórtha sa leabhar tá Micky Ward, Pat Nee, Marty Walsh agus Kevin Cullen, agus tugtar léargas ón taobh istigh ar an dornálaí féin, ar chultúr troda a linne agus ar South Boston na 1980idí.
In 1977, looking to fulfill a dream as a pro boxer, 17-year-old Sean Mannion flew into Boston from Ireland, straight into a world of gun smugglers, drug dealers, and the world's best boxers. By 1983, Mannion was ranked the number one US light middleweight boxer.
In The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down: The Life of Boxer Seán Mannion, Rónán Mac Con Iomaire recounts Mannion's struggles and triumphs in and out of the ring. Despite dubious management and the attention of the Boston Irish Mafia, Mannion quickly climbed his way up from the lower rungs of one of the most competitive weight divisions in boxing history. This biography is more than a boxing story; it's a personal story that also intersects with notorious crime figures, world-class fighters, and several pivotal moments in history.
Featuring the likes of Micky Ward, Pat Nee, Marty Walsh, and Kevin Cullen, The Man Who Was Never Knocked Down provides an inside perspective on the boxer, the fighting culture of his era, and on 1980s South Boston.
"Mannion's story is not so much about talent squandered... It's about a man who stayed true to his roots, his language, his culture, his family and, ultimately, his soul. It is satisfyingly life-affirming."
— Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe columnist & author
"Seán Mannion was a great fighter and an even greater person. This book captures the incredible story of a proud Irishman and a proud Ros Muc man. A man with a granite chin and a heart of gold."
— Micky Ward, former WBA light welterweight world champion
"One of the nation's most gifted boxers in history is the subject of an extraordinary new biography. It is a gripping and articulate deep dive into Mannion's career which encapsulates the considerable standing he commanded within boxing circles."
— Maurice Brosnan, Balls.ie