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I used to be a bare-knuckle champion, now I'm making a documentary about suicide
When you meet James Quinn McDonagh, it’s not immediately obvious that he was a bare-knuckle boxing champion.
No fighters in the world are more dedicated to the raw violence of the bare-knuckle hurt business than Travellers and so it’s astonishing that – outwardly anyway - The Mighty Quinn seemed to be so at home for so long in fights with no gloves and no rests that were fought to the finish.
James – who was unbeaten in a bare-knuckle career that spanned two decades - has a new fight on his hands these days: a fight to raise awareness and do something about the shockingly high suicide rate among Travellers. McDonagh’s new documentary - Mind Your Head – filmed over three years and with input from some big names in the world of pro boxing – follows the challenges faced by Irish Traveller Andy Spoore on his journey to recovery.
Among those from the boxing community who take part in the documentary are John Fury, father of former lineal world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and his brother, cruiserweight Tommy Fury.
McDonagh spoke to DAZN News recently about his hopes for the documentary.
“My aim is getting this message out to every Traveller and every ethnic group in the world to understand. Let us make sure people know that you're not alone and that it's OK not to be OK,” James said.
“You need to speak to people. You need to speak to your family, those close to you and I want members of the Travelling community to understand that it's OK to reach out if you are struggling. The video is about one guy's journey, but the big message is if he can succeed – given what he was facing - anyone can succeed.”
It’s obvious speaking to James during our interview on a bright spring morning that this an emotional subject for him personally.
“You know, I've lost too many friends. Genuinely I could count on two hands in the last four or five years,” James said, his voice trailing off slightly.
“Thinking about it, there was actually between 30 and 40 people over the course of the time span of the film I’ve known personally - or who close friends of mine - have lost. They could have been saved, they could have been saved,” he sighed.
His motivation is clear “I felt I needed to do this, and my thinking now is if I can save one life doing this, it's great. If I can save two people, it’s priceless. Because it's an epidemic. It is a proper epidemic within our community, especially young men aged between 16 to 35.”
Worryingly, in the UK the number of people waiting for mental health care has risen by 29% over the last two years, with some waiting for two years or more for support. The problem is exacerbated within the Travelling community where - as James explains - culturally people are much less likely to admit they might be struggling or seek professional support.
“We have to do something to try and instigate change. I just think Travellers are more ashamed of themselves (to ask for help) - as in ‘us men don't have problems’, right? What we have is in terms of young Traveller attitude is we are alpha males. We are strong, we don't get sick, especially when it comes to mental health. That's a weakness within our community and our aim is to, you know, educate the Travelling man and boy that it’s OK to speak out and it’s OK to seek support.”
McDonagh was the star of ‘Knuckle’, a 2011 Irish documentary filmed over 12 years about the secretive – and ultra violent - world of Irish Traveller bare-knuckle boxing.
In that particular feature ‘The Mighty Quinn’ comes across as immensely likeable and level-headed despite the madness enveloping around him.
However, as the man himself explained, there was massive pressure in being the top bare-knuckle fighting man in Ireland and - as a result - everyone wanting to come for the king.
“Being totally honest, people thought I loved it. People thought I loved that glory and fame and winning my fights. I had 20 years of pressure, 20 years of stress, 20 years! I put stress on my wife and family.
"I put 20 years of stress on my poor dad. God rest him. He used to cry every time I would go out fighting. A grown man would cry because he didn't want to see me do it, you know?
"So sometimes Derek - and this is a hard thing to say - sometimes I wish I lost one. If I had lost one, then maybe looking back I don't have to do it again and I would have got that pressure off myself and my family and my parents. But it was the pride. Pride that kept me going back to it.”
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James reflects that while the mental strain of the endless call out and brutal fights in yards, country lanes and on the cobbles certainly took a toll, the physical training for such combat was a huge positive in terms of his own mental wellbeing.
“They kept asking me to fight, and each time they're putting me up on that pedestal. And when I beat one, they were getting someone else, someone better to come back and take me down. And that’s how it was. It made me determined me to do more training. The training, it kept me right. I think exercise, in the gym, walking the dogs, jogging, going for walks.
“You know, being out in the fresh air is great for your mental health and that that kept my mind right. The physical activity. But the mental side of it, from when I woke up in the morning till the time, I went to bed for twenty solid years I was under stress and pressure because of what I was putting my family through.”
Our conversation then moved to Tyson Fury. Fury was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017, and has struggled himself with depression for a number of years. James feels it is crucial that huge names such as ‘The Gypsy King’ are actually speaking up on the subject of mental health.
“First and foremost, Tyson Fury is a role model to all young Traveller men, right? He educates them in his own little way to get up and go to the gym.
"He's out there speaking publicly about his mental health and stuff like that. So yes, I respect him. I think he's brilliant guy. What Tyson Fury's doing, you know, he's speaking out. He's speaking for every Travelling man in the world, you know, to get up and get out there, go to the gym, exercise and seek that help.”
Fury is on record saying how much exercise and his boxing training has helped him in terms of his mental wellbeing struggles, and McDonagh feels passionately that physical activity and sports such as boxing can help people who are struggling.
“You've got to have a purpose,” he says.
"If you've got a purpose and you've got a goal, that’s half the battle sometimes. I’ve seen it (the negative harm) sitting around, overthinking can do, it’s hard. You know, if you've got three or four problems in your life, try and break them down. Break them down into four quarters and say right I'll deal with this one first. You cannot deal with every problem you've got in your life at once.”
McDonagh believes that Fury’s achievements, and the reach he has worldwide, has opened doors to a lot of Traveller fighters, who in years gone by would be world class amateurs but then be lost to the pro game for various reasons.
“There are so many great, great Irish lads coming through, talents such as Paddy Donovan. Traveller fighters such as Tommy Fury, Isaac Lowe and Dennis McCann, so many great professional boxers and I think now the standard of boxing that's coming out of Ireland within the Traveller community is above and beyond where it's previously been.
“All these fellas were inspired by Tyson Fury, you know? OK. The street fighters might be inspired by my old videos years ago of me from ‘Knuckle’. But in the ring professionally, Tyson Fury is doing such a great job and sometimes he probably doesn't even realise it.”
When pressed for a prediction if Fury did come out of retirement in 2025 and fought Anthony Joshua in an all-British blockbuster, McDonagh was unequivocal.
“I'm a great fan of Tyson Fury. I've been to seven, eight of his fights in in the UK. I personally think the fight will happen. I think it's going to be a great fight, and I think Tyson will do him. I think Tyson will stop him. That's my honest opinion. Tyson's just too good for him.”
Bare-knuckle fighting has gone more mainstream since the days that ‘The Mighty Quinn’ was the Lord of the Lanes, and McDonagh himself is a big fan of BKFC and can understand its appeal.
“I am a follower of BKFC. In fact, I'm a great friend of David Feldman who runs BKFC. I've worked with him in the past and we spoke to him a couple of days ago about a little project we were talking about doing.”
As our interview wound down, I asked James if he could give anyone reading this who might be struggling – Traveller or otherwise – one piece of advice today that might improve things for them, what that would be?
“For Travellers this is an epidemic and what I would encourage people to do is to reach out - it’s never too late to reach out for help and it’s never too late to offer it. It is just important to keep talking and to not forget the importance of managing substance misuse and its links to mental health. I would also encourage Travellers to support their own wellbeing - eat right, sleep right and train right to keep well.
"I would also encourage Professionals to think differently about how they approach Traveller mental health - I really think to do this cultural awareness training and meeting people where they are comfortable is important.”
McDonagh is fascinating company. The very best fighters, in gloves or otherwise, bring light and meaning to the world.
The extreme depth of his own courage did as much as anything else to take him to the edge during 20 years of fighting. Watching a bare-knuckle fight leaves one conflicted. They are so far removed from civilised standards, but also so compelling.
Perhaps above all else, The Mighty Quinn understands the humanity that lurks at the heart of all combat sport, but he is also acutely aware of the darker side of such conflict.
These paradoxes - between the uncompromising bare-knuckle warrior and the outwardly humble, well-mannered human - make you root for people like McDonagh, and one hopes that he succeeds in his mission to raise awareness about a subject so important.
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