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Irish traveller bare knuckle fighting

  • 02-10-2021 2:54am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭


    So there is a lot not covered by this topic and I will try to answer your questions without the media brutally giving it a hostile opinion

    The tradition of hand to hand combat goes back century's which you don't see to much of today but for Irish travellers it is still a dominant way to get past the real serious disagreements in day to day life

    It would not be to far off to say that there is at least 4 fights a day 7 days a week without the settled community and it depends on the serious of the disagreement other travellers ever hearing about it.

    Not only does it solve the more simpler disagreements but bare knuckle boxing is so strong in my culture that the term (king of the travellers) is given to the best of the best. And the sport is followed by travellers nation wide by the traveller community. The most recent traveller to have acquired the title (king of the travellers) paddy ward from the mountbellew ward clan.

    After he fought and defeated a traveller from the clan McGinley who fought any traveller fighter from the UK and Ireland and claimed king of the traveller before he was challenged and defeated by paddy.



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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 80,798 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn


    Its cultural for hundreds of years like following sulkys in 211D Land cruiser jeeps.



  • Registered Users Posts: 32,803 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    I have no issue with you all wanting to box the heads off each other to prove how much of a man you are, but there are more pressing issues with your community that I hope you would address, but no sign of anything being done for decades now, so not holding my breath on those.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭phonypony


    Why are "simpler" disagreements "solved" by boxing the head off someone rather than by civilised means such as engaging in dialogue?



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,484 ✭✭✭Allinall


    How can settling a dispute by bashing each other with fists be called a sport?



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,632 ✭✭✭I see sheep




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  • Registered Users Posts: 43,017 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    Is it true that Big Joe Joyce wrote a series of children's books under the pseudonym Esmée Blanchet?



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 9,529 CMod ✭✭✭✭Shield


    Bare knuckle fighting is a criminal offence, but it’s ok when they do it because tradition?

    Sorry, no. Obey the law of the land like everyone else.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I must say, I have grievances with many aspects of traveler culture (as we all do, as they do amongst themselves), but the spirit reflected in bare knuckle boxing is to me, one of the few positive aspects that comes from the culture.

    And let's face it, of the non-traveler aspect of society, certainly amongst the youth culture (wanna be bad-boys, trashy girls etc), travel bare knuckle boxers are often glamorized (and in many respects, feared).

    However it's important to note this can happen for two reasons:

    1) 99% of non-travelers have no idea how to give or take a punch, and in the land of the blind, 1 eyed man is king.

    There's some nice scraps on youtube between Irish travelers, but let's face it, against even a marginally seasoned IABA amateur, the general standard of boxing in bare knuckle is..... really not that good.

    2) however, the spirit and I guess kind of aggression required to throw down with no gloves is also what can cause admiration and intimidation in the settled community. This is more a function of the culture itself, associated personality it produces, than actual boxing talent.

    The irony is of course that "spirit", when untamed, it is also I believe what causes much of the problems society in general has with the traveling community, and can be largely responsible for the necessity to isolate individual clans in designated areas, as untamed it results in flare ups, conflict etc.

    I think travelers are very proud of their spirit, and defend it vehemently.

    I think they don't want to lose it via becoming "civilized", which is potentially the reason for their resistance to it.



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,229 ✭✭✭✭nullzero
    ****


    Bare knuckle fighting is the least damaging (to society) thing that travellers get up to.

    The call out videos are pure comedy gold (the one with the lads talking about the other fellas mother having to have her arse cleaned with a sweeping brush, complete with props is one my the best things on youtube).

    Glazers Out!



  • Registered Users Posts: 251 ✭✭P2C


    There was a video circulating recently of a boxing match in Ballytivnan Sligo. Two fellas boxing the lugs of each other. Either they were punch drunk or simply drunk due to the lack of hits. They also were unfit probably for the intensity. What struck me about the fight was why we’re they fighting on the main road impeding traffic and actually were damaging peoples cars when there were plenty of fields right beside them where nobody would of batted a eyelid. I don’t mind a good fist fight. It’s a lot better way to sort out a grievance than knives , hammers, guns or any other implement. I have watched a few of the videos of scrapes and they seem well organised and in a strange way fairly moderated.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    No 😂 that's a new one lmao and you actually got 7 likes for it. Ridiculous 🤣



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    Please highlight those issues. Out from the obvious ones but the issues with the community might not be actually known or talked about bring it to light bud



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    They do it's called a phone call . Then YouTube then they meet up and you see to an outside or anyone who just doesn't want to hear it they will never understand but what's better a fist fight that last maximum 1 hr or sue you bring you to Court for 9 months to 2 years and take what ever money I can ring out of you



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    Umm you ever hear of Mike Tyson 😂😂 you should look him up he is the best belly dancer in the world.please genuine and realistic questions please



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    See if you can actually message me the title of the fight I can actually find out the full story for you. But my guess would be as I haven't seen it, they didn't actually want to fight just make a show of each other or hadn't time to train and just wanted it over so when they seen each other they just went at it instead of train for 6 months. And just because there travellers doesn't mean there all able to actually fight in a Martial art



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    See it's either that or you get the really bad situation that someone gets killed. To be honest it's people like your self that just don't want to see the big picture and if someones ways of the world doesn't fit in your bubble you just want it gone. And wen it comes to tradition I'm afraid your not going to stop that anytime soon



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,193 ✭✭✭tinytobe


    I think the only media these bare knuckle boxing fights are known from is the movie called Snatch. Is it in reality similar? Or is this just "made for the movies"?

    I just have a real strange question: Are "non-travellers" like myself able to see a bare knuckle boxing fight? Or is this strictly among the travelling community?



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    😂 Ya some of them are actually funny but I would like a law to be put in place to stop all that



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,028 ✭✭✭Man Vs ManUre


    Who would win a bare knuckle fight between the King of the Travellers Paddy Ward vs an injury-free Conor McGregor??



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭phonypony


    We obviously have different ideas as to what constitutes dialogue. I see it as two way conversation aimed at resolving the conflict. From the info you've given it seems you see it as threatening and antagonistic shouting followed by a good hiding.

    As to your question of what's better- I'm guessing since you've mentioned court and financial compensation you might have a particular sort of conflict in mind involving theft or damage, in which case I would choose the legal and civilised way of resolving it, litigation. If you're owed something, what is beating the living snot out of someone going to get you, other than some temporary satisfaction and hands you can't use for a week?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    See this is good i like your opinion and honest and you are very right about this.

    So let's get started.

    Travellers are not trained to boxing legends it's starting to take off out from the rare individuals I.e Tyson fury) the travellers born 1996 and 2005 are in small individual groups being trained to be professionals not to beat other travellers but to compete pro.

    Spirit is a big part in it and with this you are right, is a big problem. The confidence many travellers have adopted is nothing short of dangerous. You see for travellers the wider community have it on the opinion that the outside world is all on cloud 9 there just out of reality and the best thing for that is you are never taken seriously to be in constant danger. Out from the norm that travellers face from 18 or younger depends on how big they have developed,can be challenged for fight at anytime by anyone and going to the guards is not a popular option so it's a very make or break community.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,415 ✭✭✭touts


    Well the main benefit of bare Knuckle fights these days seems to be explaining how they came into possession of several hundred thousand on cash. There is some serious money at stake, apparently.

    I won it on the fights boss. Nothing to do with armed robbery or drugs boss. All on the fights boss.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,486 ✭✭✭Killinator


    Why is it either two lads boxing the heads off each other OR someone gets killed.

    They could try....you know, sorting out their issues like civilised human beings.

    Trial by combat used to be a normal enough thing in society back in medieval days but civilised society managed to grow out of such things, yours should try the same.



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    Yes we do have a very big difference if what constitutes as dialogue but that's the point we are not the same almost as much so as me and your self to the Amish community and threatening and shouting to a good hiding sounds appropriate 😂 and down to vandalism and things that's a bad road to go down for travellers because that never really ends with just fighting either they get compensation for damages or it goes legal and bloody usually they go hand in hand and you see it on the news from there



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,931 ✭✭✭✭Fr Tod Umptious


    OP

    Are you one of the Oxford Joyces ?



  • Registered Users Posts: 51,118 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    I haven’t seen a good bare knuckle fight involving Travellers yet. They are rubbish fighters in the main, unfit is the least of it.



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    That's a very interesting question. When I comes to fights there is usually a fair play man for each man fighting to observe and to make sure no faul play is happening. From there a camera man each to video for either side and that is usually the way it goes no family support is allowed from both sides as that can end in one side not liking the outcome and it usually gets bloody. Which raises my answer to your question. If it's a open fight that means anyone can come and watch, you could come to watch by invitation in the form of you already know a traveller and you ask and he says jump in the car. I would ask you to use your judgement with this tho because when it comes to travellers anyone including your self is fair game to hit if you Arrive with the other side and it goes south. Example small riot.



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    Thanks for your feed back. Have you a question ❓



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller




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  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭irish2021traveller


    Ya but it took them hundreds of years to let it grow out and at least we just mainly use are hands not swords. Give use a bit of time where getting there ☺️



This discussion has been closed.
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