Gerry Coyle - My Father’s Fight

Gerry Coyle is best known in Irish boxing as the figurehead of Geesala BC, from the ‘Land of the Salty Breeze’, and father of former world-rated contender Henry Coyle. But his own father, Henry Coyle, has a notable story too. As Gerry says, ‘my son Henry fought for Ireland with gloves after my dad Henry fought for Ireland with guns’. Gerry’s spent over 20 years preparing a new book entitled ‘Henry Coyle – A Forgotten Freedom Fighter’ which unearths the untold story of his father’s escapades during the War of Independence and Civil War. Sentenced to penal servitude in Scotland after being caught with the largest quantity of explosives ever found in the UK, he carried Michael Collins’ coffin after his assassination and later served as a TD but that spell was short-lived. Gerry’s book tells his tale for the first time while in this episode of The Rocky Road with Kevin Byrne, the Mayo man also reminisces about the friends he’s met through boxing and why the sport matters so much, nights in New York alongside Emanuel Steward and Jake LaMotta and a trip to Cuba to reunite legendary boxing coach Nicholas Cruz with his mother. And, listen, lots more besides.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.