Former boxer and first-time playwright Jamie McGough’s hard-hitting debut play, Fighting Irish, premieres at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre next month. Steve Adams meets him to find out more...

When Coventry-based boxer Jarlath McGough returned to Dublin to defend his Irish light-heavyweight title in 1979, he ended up with more than just a boxing adversary to overcome, as prejudice, corrupt officials and warring factions in Ireland combined to create a tinder-box atmosphere inside and outside the ring.

The true story provides the basis for Fighting Irish, the debut play from Coventry writer Jamie McGough, nephew of Jarlath, which takes the historic bout as the first bell for a drama that encompasses politics, courtroom conflict and family loyalties as well as wider-ranging themes of identity and displacement, highlighted by the McGough family being viewed as Irish in England and English in Ireland. The various threads come together to create a compelling story that’s both personal and political, according to Jamie. 

“Firstly it’s about my family’s boxing careers, Irish title fights and the front-page news controversy that surrounded them, which involves courtroom drama as well as in-ring conflict,” he explains. “That leads to the second part, which encompasses Irish identity, the politics of the time and the family difficulties that came from dealing with such a troubled atmosphere.”

Much of the story is something Jamie’s known all his life, primarily related to him by his paternal grandmother Eileen, who was not only the matriarch of the family but a massive influence on him and his outlook on life.

“It’s a story that I read and heard about throughout my childhood, but my nan was a real raconteur and we’d have marathon conversations about every topic under the sun. She told the story brilliantly and was an incredibly inspiring person. She overcame so many troubles, illnesses and disability while still keeping her humour, as well as an undying belief in living life to the full, battling against any obstacle.”

Eileen died of Covid in 2020, and fate has decreed that Fighting Irish will premiere on the second anniversary of her death. Jamie’s determined that the play will be a fitting tribute to her life, as well as to other members of his family, which is one of the reasons he chose to use their real names throughout the piece, he says.

“When people have achieved so much in life, I think it’s important that they’re remembered, whether that’s the great act of being a kind person, or external success in sport, academia or whatever. I think this becomes especially relevant with working-class people. They don’t get the same coverage or place in history, but they are the heart of humanity, and if I can immortalise them through words, then that’s what I’ll strive to do throughout my life.

“The last thing my nan said to me was ‘get that play finished, for your family and to achieve your own potential’. When I was writing her character in the aftermath of her death, it was a comfort to feel that she was still there with me, telling her story through the play.”

So what inspired the boxer and boxing coach to make the unlikely transition into a writer? 

“One of the reasons I stopped boxing was because I had ambitions to succeed in other fields and an innate need to tell stories. Coming from a heavily disadvantaged area, I found it hard to know which direction to go and if there were any routes into theatre or film. I drifted away from it to pursue things that seemed attainable, but eventually I thought that if I wanted to follow my passion, I’d need to follow my nan’s example and forge ahead into the unknown.”

Having a great true story to work with clearly helped, but there’s a lot more to it than that - how had he turned it into a play, given the lack of previous experience?

“The story itself had a classic structure - a rise, a fall and conclusion to those actions. So that fell into my lap and I’m lucky with that. The challenge was to look at the reasons for these events and build on those themes. 

“I’m similarly lucky that countless people who know more than me have been very generous with their time throughout my life and more recently with writing advice. Coventry playwright Richard Walls gave me lots of encouragement and an inspiring demonstration of the nuts and bolts of playwriting, and there were many great writers who read the work and gave me very encouraging praise as well as constructive advice.”

Other experts who gave him encouragement included local theatre director Laurence Boswell and filmmaker Geoff Thompson, both of whom suggested he show the script to Hamish Glen, outgoing artistic director of Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. Hamish liked it so much he not only commissioned the play but will co-direct it (alongside the theatre’s new creative director, Corey Campbell) as his swansong at the venue.

“I liked his record of putting on local work and felt that the Belgrade and Hamish were the right people for this,” says Jamie. “Hamish loved the script, and I’m honoured that such an esteemed director has chosen this for his farewell play. He then introduced me to Corey, and what a brilliant choice! We have a similar background in life; he understands stage movement, and if anyone can do justice to the boxing scenes, it’s him.”

The fight choreography is obviously something the former boxer is desperate to get right, and the show is being performed on a unique in-the-round, boxing-ring stage, which Jamie hopes will bring an immersive, ‘ringside’ atmosphere to proceedings. He also thinks his own boxing skills could come in useful for the fight sequences: “I can’t wait to see how the directors seize the opportunity to make a thrilling spectacle and overcome the challenges of working in the round.

“Boxing stories can be ruined by below-par boxing scenes, so it’s essential that those scenes are realistic. I have some ideas about what angles, combinations and moves will look well on stage, and I have 10 years of coaching novices how to box as well as champions, so I’d like to think that will come in handy!”

Fighting Irish shows at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from Saturday 2 to Saturday 16 April