Latest / On Your Own Time Podcast / Episode 5 Brian Kennady

Transcript

Episode 5 Brian Kennady · On Your Own Time Podcast

• Declan Toland: Welcome back to On Your Own Time. Today's guest is someone who has achieved success at the very highest level, both in the Irish Defence Forces and in the boxing ring. He represented Ireland on the European and World Stage, won gold at the Sism World Military Championships, and has built a reputation as one of Ireland's most accomplished amus box amateur boxers. But today it's not about the medals, it's about the man behind the medals. Brian, you're very welcome to On Your Own Time podcast. How are you doing? Brian kennedy: So, so, Decky, thanks very much. Thanks for having me. I really, really appreciate it. Declan Toland: The two of the two of us are two sad people wearing two DF tops. What's the story? And we're at home. All right, Brian. So for anybody who doesn't know ya, ⁓ t tell them tell them who you are and where you're from. Brian kennedy: Yeah, so I'm from Dangan County, Offaly, a little small village just outside Tullamore, between Tullamore and Eadinderry. Grew up in Dangan, went to primary school in Dangan National School and headed off then to secondary school in Tullamore College and finished Tullamore College then and had a few different jobs. I had no interest in college or whatever and joined the defence forces then. Yeah, huge interest in boxing as well. Declan Toland: ⁓ Brian, where did the boxing come from anyway? Brian kennedy: So I was playing like all other kids when you're young, you'd be playing all kinds of sports, GAA, hurling football, played a bit of soccer as well. I was, apparently I was putting on a little bit of weight and my dad came home one evening, he told my mam that he said, Anna, Anna is her name, he said to her, said, Anna, I'm bringing Brian into Tullamore Boxing Club now, he said he's putting on a bit of weight and I want to get him fit for football next year or whatever. And my dad said, you're not bringing him near a boxing club because my dad did a bit of boxing as well when he was younger. But anyways, yeah, story short, I started in Tullamore Boxing Club at the age of nine and I loved it. I loved it the second I walked into the boxing club. Just the gym, the gym feeling, smell of sweat. And yeah, it was an old type of boxing club as well. know, just that rugged old boxing gym. Yeah, just I loved that feeling. Declan Toland: And the ⁓ it's obviously hard to remember, but the day you walked in as a nine year old, ⁓ like that must be it must be hard as a nine year old walking into a gym into a gym like and ⁓ you're on your own really in the ring sorry, in the ring and you're coming from a football background or J A background, you're with a team like so you're on your own in the ring. Brian kennedy: Yeah Yeah, that's it. Yeah, I walked in and I still remember it. Yeah. And there wouldn't have been, I don't think there was any kids there at the time, but yeah, I started and I fell in love with the sport, yeah. Declan Toland: And your senior dad is ⁓ was a boxer as well. Tell me a bit about that. Brian kennedy: Yeah, so he did a bit there. think he represented the Leinster boxing team when he was younger and he went away with an Irish select team as well, I think over to America. And yeah, just worked and life in general. He packed it in young. Yeah. Declan Toland: And what was it like growing up in Dangan? Like a like ⁓ we were talking beforehand here, Dangan is a small little village. Like what's it like? What was it like? Brian kennedy: Small little parish village, Tanganyang is a brilliant town. Everybody knows each other and everybody supports each other. Yeah, it's a great little village. Declan Toland: ⁓ yeah, and I had ⁓ sorry, I had No Noli pointing last week there, he was from a small little village in Delven and he was saying there's more pubs in Delven that there is shops. Is that the same with Dangan? Brian kennedy: Yeah, pretty much, yeah. You have four pubs. Four pubs, a shop, a post office and that's about it, yeah. And butchers as well. Declan Toland: But yours. So as a nine year old starting boxing, got into the ring. So talk to me about ⁓ your younger days, like from nine on. So talk to me how d you develop from there. Brian kennedy: Yeah, so started in Tullamore. That brought me in. I loved it. I stayed in there for a couple of years. And then as I got older then, I had huge interest in it and he obviously seen a little bit of talent in me as well. So my father, John Kennedy, started his own boxing club then, St Mary's Boxing Club Dangan. He started that up there in 2010. which was great success for the town as well. had multiple off-flee Lensner and national champions that came out of the club. And sadly then, just after Covid, my father, he got his two hips done so he had to close it down. And ⁓ now with Liam Brayton there in St. Bridges, even Dairy Boxing Club. Declan Toland: So you you were got around so you went from e you went from Dangan to Tullamore to Eden Derry. So ⁓ what what was the what was the parish like so i in terms of what was the close in the state of J and Dangan? So what's it the JA club in Dangan? What's the closest parish to Dangan then? Brian kennedy: Yeah Yeah, so the Paris club team at underage level is Cap and Cor, Thanc and Ballycom and Kilflamford. And once you go past then minor level then you're back. St Vincent's finishes then and you're back with your own town club then. And it would be a great thing if they to ever come together as a senior. Declan Toland: Okay, yeah. ⁓ Brian kennedy: Senior team, like the talent in the parish is tremendous, like, yeah. Declan Toland: That's that's usual, small parishes, isn't it? They're kinda just they don't want to come together at all, don't they? That's that's it's that long for as well. There's a big rivalry over there, like. Yeah. So talk to me about how what was it like having a dad that was a boxing coach and r and had his own gym growing up? Brian kennedy: Yeah, I don't know what it is, It's a pity, you know. Yeah. Yeah, so my father, as I said, he started the boxing club in 2010. He has his own business as well, JFK windows and doors. And he was working obviously full time with that. And along with that, he was running the club Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and then at the weekends if there was tournaments on for the kids or if there was tournaments on for the... the senior boxers, he'd be bringing them away at the weekend. So yeah, my father had his hands full from 2010 to 2022. And fair play to him, to be honest, I don't know how he did it. Coming home there in the evenings, half five, six o'clock, training at seven, there was times there he didn't even get anything to eat. He'd just in the door, change clothes, straight up to the club then, till nine o'clock, seven to nine. That was four or five nights a week. Declan Toland: He done it for he done it for ten years, you say what? Brian kennedy: So the boxing club started in 2010 and finished in 2022. It's all gone. I was up there in the premises, out the back of my auntie's house. It's a big massive shed like. Yeah, he had some set up. It was well kitted out. was great facilities. But I was up there the other day and the place is empty now. It's It's all many memories, you know. Declan Toland: Thousand ten. That's one of the Yeah, it's crazy. That's a ⁓ that's a ⁓ But memories for the f for the for the parish, like it wasn't just memories for you, like so there's many people grew up and obviously trained and fought there like so. Brian kennedy: That's it. Yeah, and he had GAA. was coaching, was training the odd time as well. GAA clubs are amongst the parish. The club teams would come in and do a night here and there with him as well. So yeah, it great for the town and great for the parish. Declan Toland: What was it like having ⁓ your dad at home as a r as a coach? Like so was he harsh to you at home in terms of what you ask, how were you trained, how you slept? Brian kennedy: Shit. No, think to be honest I went a bit overboard myself and there would times where you'd say, Brian, come on, you have to go out and enjoy yourself or get your takeaway or whatever. He was grand that way. Declan Toland: ⁓ Dan Hur you joined the D ⁓ you joined the D F then? So talk to me, how did you join the D F? Brian kennedy: Yeah, so I was in Tullamore College, secondary school, and they gave books, wasn't my thing. Like, I knew I wasn't going to be going to college. To be honest, I didn't know what I was going to do, I'd be coming in there at nine o'clock for school, and I'd be just wreck tired. There'd be times I'd be sitting at the back of the classroom, falling asleep, like just, yeah, just. because of the boxing like it was what I wanted to do. All I wanted to do was just box and that was what was fully focused on. And I think the teachers knew and then my career guidance teacher as well. She was very good as well. She called me aside one of the days and she said, Brian, said, there's two guys from the defence forces coming in tomorrow to ⁓ do a talk. She said, I think it's something that you should go for. So yeah, I went to the talk with the two defence members and said yeah, I could be on to something here. yeah, then fast forward then a couple years later, I signed up and I joined the defence forces and it's thing that... ⁓ The defence forces have been brilliant to me. ⁓ Declan Toland: Do you do you remember the day you signed up or how did wh how did it take how did you take it at home? Brian kennedy: So yeah, told my mom or had already known about the Career Guidance teacher. what she said to me or whatever. so she had an idea and I, yeah, as I, as I, when I went to tell her then she was like, yeah, Brian, I that's a great idea. She said, ⁓ she said, sure, look, go with it and see how you get on. yeah. Yeah. Declan Toland: Savage. ⁓ what was their crew training like? So where actually where did you do recruit training? Brian kennedy: I did recruit training in Galway. Yeah, was tough. Yeah, be honest, I got on really well. I really enjoyed it. You create so many great memories. There's good days and bad days, but yeah, I loved it. The 17 weeks I was in Galway and then I went on to do my two to three start in Finnergamp. Declan Toland: She's ⁓ Tough ⁓ tough place to train in Galo. Brian kennedy: Yes, yes. Declan Toland: Yeah. I'm sure you seen the sea a few times, did you? ⁓ So talk to me about recruiting away about a bit about your physical training in terms of it. Like so how did a hamper your own boxing? 'Cause at that at that stage you were you were doing your boxing at a decent level as well. Brian kennedy: Too many times. ⁓ Yeah, so I joined the defence forces at 18 years of age. I joined and I just after winning the U22 national championships and it was the last competition I had before I started with group training was the U22 European championships. They were all hell over in Romania, but when I joined then, after winning... the under 22s and under 18s and whatever was on my mind. Like I was told that I should go for the national elites, which were going to be, it was kind of clashing between recruit training and two to three star. So after I finished recruit training, then the 17 weeks in Galway, we broke, we finished that just before the Christmas and elites were on in January. So I ended up boxing in the national. I ⁓ think had a week's training. ⁓ I think that year I was beating against Kevin Hines, who was actually doing really well for himself now. He's fighting for a world title soon I think in the pro game. Declan Toland: Savage. ⁓ so boxing for the DF. So you're obviously you you're boxing for the DF in terms of the the boxing internal competitions and ⁓ international competitions. Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah Declan Toland: S so what's that like? So ⁓ talk to me a bit about ⁓ D F boxing itself. Brian kennedy: Yeah, so the defence forces boxing, so every year the all armies gets ran and that's usually held in Cotterborough Barracks, Rathmines in Dublin. That gets ran, you to win the all army competition and if the coach and staff, if they think you're good enough to get onto the team then you're selected for the team and throughout the year then there's different tournaments internationally and it goes underneath the banner. the Sism jam chips. Yeah. Declan Toland: So are you so you also represented Ireland a couple of times ⁓ in on an international stage for sorry, ⁓ represented the D F on an international stage? Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah, the last time I've been to China in 2019, which was a great experience. That was the World Military Season Games, basically the military Olympics. Yeah, that was a great experience. Didn't go to plan. I drew China the first round over in China. To be honest, I got a bad decision, but anyways, it was a great. great experience overall and I've been to Germany at another European Sism competition where I got goall at that one too and then Netherlands there was another competition, I wasn't a Sism now, was just another competition and I was beaten in the final against the English opponent and then last year then the last time out was over in the French Foreign Legion camp and that was the European Season games and I came home cold from there. Declan Toland: So so like you're after mentioning a heap of countries there. So it that's crazy like like we're talking about people joining the D the D F and we're talking about one, two, three, four, five countries that you travel through just from the D F point of view, from training, from boxing. Brian kennedy: Yeah, it's great, yeah. Yeah, Great opportunities, Deci, with sport and just in general, like just you have so many, like if you want to go down the route of becoming a cook, if you want to go down the route of doing a trade within the defence forces, like there's so, so many, many options within the defence force and as of myself, like getting on well at sport, like the support you get from the defence forces is great. Declan Toland: there's people travel abroad for golf, people travel travel abroad abroad for football. Like the DF soccer team is probably one of the strong strongest soccer in Europe. Do you know? And ⁓ that that's down to like a lot of people, like it's down to like we in the soccer they have something called the Cunningham Cup, which is a soccer tournament. ⁓ Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah Right. Declan Toland: the D F give you time training camps to do. So there's great opportunities for that. ⁓ Brian kennedy: great opportunities and as well as that, the coaching staff with the Defence Forces boxing team, they're great. Sergeant John Millay and Commodore John Moody and previous... So you have John Millay who's the head coach, then you have ⁓ Ross Hickey who's another coach, Tommy Sheehan, and then you have the... the manager over the whole defence forces boxing team, the team manager and that's at the moment that's John Moody and them guys are ⁓ yeah they're really great yeah. Declan Toland: All big men as well. I wouldn't like to get in the ring with any of them. You just mentioned Tommy Sheaton there. Tommy Sheaton was ⁓ one of the sergeants over my co PTI course. My god, that fella'd kill you throwing dead. ⁓ Every ⁓ that man wanted to do at lunchtime. Come in here and spar. So Tommy, I don't want box. Sure, be alright, come in and spar. ⁓ bad man. ⁓ but you mentioned good lads there, like ⁓ coming and moody yet. ⁓ you mentioned a goofy talk ⁓ good lads there, like ⁓ so talk to me. Brian kennedy: Yeah Yes, ⁓ god, yeah, 110th. He probably still does as well. Yeah and previous to that then when we were over in China at the last season games we had another team manager and that was coming in Adrian Watson and he was great too like yeah so yeah just that's what it comes down to that's what it is about the defence forces you just have so many great people like in terms of my unit as well like the support that they've shown me throughout the years like is great and you won't, me personally I don't think you're getting any other job like. I just want to thank as well, I want to thank people for the support and that's ⁓ CS Donald Donnelly, Cumberland Tommy Tuer and Sergeant Aoife Harrington that has looked after me and supported me within my unit. ⁓ Declan Toland: that. Representing the country, not the DF now, outside. Brian kennedy: My first European Championships, that was a long time ago now, that was 2012. That was over in Russia and in Napa. We actually held a record at the time, I'm not sure if it's still broken but I think we brought home, don't quote me on it now, but I think it was like 10 medals and I think four or five of them were gold like. That was the school by that. school by Irish boxing team at the time. But yeah, some experience and honour just again to represent your country and ⁓ at such a high level over at the European Championships competing against the best nations from Europe, like it's great. Declan Toland: What's it like walking out into the ring? Just forget the tricolour and forget just just walking out from the dress room, walking out to the crowd. Like all I know about boxing is I see what I see on TV. But talk to me with the feeling of it. Brian kennedy: The feeling, you see, you have all your preparation done and then it all comes down to the fight and to the day of the fight. And I think all that comes down to then is your mentality. Last year competing in my first elite international tournament was held over in Bulgaria and that was at the Strangia tournament. That was a mad feeling. got very emotional so I I prepared like I couldn't have prepared any better and I prepared really well everything was going really well I was walking to the venue then the day I was boxing walking to the fight if I was boxing at two o'clock I was heading there at 12 and just to get ready get warmed up and stuff but as I was walking to the venue just the nerves and and the butterflies in the stomach and all that that was coming to me or whatever but That was completely normal anyways, just get before the fight when I had the warm up done, just sitting down and looking to my right and looking to my left and you seen an Olympic champion to your right and a world amateur boxing champion to your left and so many familiar faces that are celebrities to me like in the boxing world like, you know, and you're sitting there and you have your warm up done and you're just saying, ⁓ my God, like. I'm here now, I'm competing against the best, like I'm at this level, like, you know. But, yeah, it's great. Declan Toland: So ⁓ do you have a walk out music, what? Did you have a song you walk out to? Brian kennedy: No, there's no there's no walkout there's no walkout entrance song with amateur boxing. Yeah, yeah now now the in some like at the the world championships that were held over in Liverpool last September like there was ring entrance songs for that alright, but it what you weren't able to select it like it just automatically got like randomly played or whatever which ⁓ Declan Toland: See now, see how much I know about. See that see that now, all I watch is T V. If I If you had to pick a song to walk out there, what would it be? Brian kennedy: ⁓ God. ⁓ Declan Toland: You don't actually Brian kennedy: Hopefully someday you'll see it again. Declan Toland: It's not Brian Kennedy knows as a singer Brian Kennedy, is it? Yeah, so like yeah, so it ⁓ so you don't have a song on top of your head, you're gonna give it away, no? Brian kennedy: Yeah! ⁓ I'm going to have it there but I'm not going to give it away. I'll wait while you see it yourself hopefully in time to come. Yeah, you'll see it yourself. Declan Toland: Absolutely. Yeah, no, brilliant. Talk to me about Liverpool. You mentioned Liverpool. Talk to me about more about that. Brian kennedy: Yeah, so Liverpool at the World Championships is the highest. was the pinnacle of elite amateur boxing. When I got there, I won the national elites twice in the both seasons. I got selected then to go up and train with the Irish team. And it was basically like a trial week. And after winning the Leeds, they still had to sit down, the coaches, staff of the Irish team, they still had to sit down and pick a team for upcoming competitions throughout the year. And the big one was then the World Championships at the end of the year. And so, yeah, I got selected after the trial week to compete for Ireland at the elite level at numerous competitions such as the World Championships in Strangia. And yeah. Declan Toland: So what was the crowd? Did you re did Liverpool was nice not too far away from Ireland? Was there much of a crowd? Brian kennedy: No, yeah, that was a really good thing because it's usually like other years like to be held in over in Turkey or you know other countries that would be bit of hardship for family and support to come out and see or whatever but over in Liverpool, yeah, they were all over there, family, friends, actually as well, coming in, Adrian Watson, he came over and supported me too and just had great, great, great support over there. Great support leading up to the World Championships as well in terms of I was getting sponsorship as well from the parish and literally from Dangan anyway, the top of the town to the bottom of the town, everyone helped me out and I really, really appreciate it. Declan Toland: But that must be a like that must be a proud moment, not just for your father, but a proud moment from Dangan. Like y we started off ⁓ boxing club in thousand and ten in Dangan. One of their own is fighting on the world stage. Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And if you were to ask me this, if you were to ask me before I was heading to the World Championships, Brian, do you think, do think this time last year you would be competing for Ireland over at the biggest pinnacle of amateur boxing at the World Championships? I would have laughed at you because I was going through a rough patch. was picking up injuries, just things weren't going my way. I was kind of falling out of love with the sport and I was thinking... I remember sitting down with my mom. This was when I was 25 and 28 now. 25 years of age. sitting there. It was just after my 25th birthday and I was after losing in the Leeds semi-final to a guy who just about qualified for, nearly qualified for Paris in 2024. But I was after losing the Leeds semi-final against him. ⁓ Things weren't going my way. was picking up injury after injury, my foot, my back, my hand. And I wasn't happy. I was on a downer. I said to my mom, said, I'm going to pack in the box. And I said, my career, I'm not progressing within the defense forces such as overseas, such as doing courses and getting promoted and climbing the ranks or whatever. He said, I think I'm going to pack the boxing in, man. As well as that, said, I'm not socializing, I'm not getting out, I'm missing out on too much. I'm putting everything into this boxing. It's not working out for me. And she said, Brian, she said, and there was tears in my eyes when I was saying it. And she was like, Brian, she said, this was in November. And she said, Brian, the elites are on in January again. She said, just give her one last shot. She said, doesn't work out and that's it you get you gave it gave it everything just she said you're that you've if that many years gone into it and she said and the talent you have she said you can't let it go to where she said ⁓ you're saying the past couple of years that you want to win the elite she said just don't let it go so yeah listen to my mom and went on then a couple of months later and I won one deletes in January and Fast forward into June, I won the league again then in June, so yeah. Declan Toland: All down to your motor. Brian kennedy: Yes, yeah, yeah. Declan Toland: Talk to me a bit more. You twenty five years of age, you went through injury ⁓ a down ⁓ mentally kind of saying you want to retire, or like give up boxing and stuff like that. What was it like as a twenty five year old, like growing up in Dangan? Like obviously at that level, like in terms of like socializing, like in terms of meeting, like having a girlfriend, in terms of friends, what was it like? Brian kennedy: Yeah. Yeah, so I didn't have a girlfriend up until I was 25, Decey, and I met Ciara Mroni, who's now my girlfriend still. Just years of missing out on birthdays, missing out on weddings, missing out on big occasions, just down to the boxing, because I was so fully focused. I never got the chance to socialise or to go as much as I wanted to. Declan Toland: Take ⁓ what was it like having friends around us? So obviously you had loads of sorry loads of friends around you, but but they were obviously drinking and and going out partying and what was it like? Brian kennedy: Yeah, they knew what it was like. They knew boxing was my thing and fair play to them as well. They didn't put any pressure on me or whatever. If there was a party on, they were heading out with a weekend, they'd never, they'd ask, right, but they'd never put any pressure on me. Telling me that I have a competition coming up and I'm blah, blah, and that'd be it then. Declan Toland: And I bet I bet they're still friends to this day because like it's hard to get good friends that ⁓ legion like they don't bring it down a negative road, like that that they've guaranteed they're still friends to this day. Brian kennedy: 100 % and they are yeah, yeah Declan Toland: Yeah. And your girlfriend what's your girlfriend's name again, sir? You still with her? Kira. So what was Kira what does she c what does Kira think in a boxing now? Brian kennedy: Here I... Yeah. Yeah, Kira is very supportive now in fairness, yeah. ⁓ Yeah, so I met Kira for my turn 25 and a couple of months later, I won the league then and yeah, she's very good, yeah, very good to me, very supportive. Declan Toland: So after I saw the D F, so you went in your represented Ireland, so talk to me about Liverpool one more time. So you We walked out to Liverpool with an with the tricolor on you. Like for any soldier, I don't mind I know it's i it was the world championships, but a soldier, Irish soldier, to walk out to Liverpool with the tricolour and to win to win the to World Championships, talk to me with that feeling. Brian kennedy: It's a feeling you can't explain, Ducky. It's just... ⁓ It's just unbelievable. That's the only way I can put it. It's a proud, proud, proud moment. Seeing it in the ring, as soon as you touch the gloves with your opponent and you head back to the corner, you just take a glance up to the crowd. It's just some feeling, seeing the tricolour up with the flags. Yeah, it's great. Unbelievable. Declan Toland: Any ⁓ we talked about we talked about injuries there in your back and your wrist and so on. Like what's the lowest? Obviously we you had loads of highs, but it was there a major low excluding the twenty five year old talk talking to your mother, any major lows in terms of y your own training in terms of mentally Brian kennedy: Yeah, I'd say that he will probably will come down to that time when Ma said the later on in January and that was like, that's probably it. But like as well as that, the club at that time, the club had been shutting that closed down. My father had got his two hips replaced. So I was like thinking to myself, I was thinking, what am I going to do now for Trent? Like, where am going to go? What club am I going to join? So I said it to my dad and That said, Brayton, the first person that came to his mind was Liam Brayton. said, he'd be a good man. said, I'll call him. He said, we'll arrange, we'll go over and have a chat with him, see what he says. So that's what happened. I went over and chatted to Liam Brayton and Liam Brayton turned around and he said to me, Brian, said, if you give me 110%, I'll give you 110%. And that's what we done. We stuck with. with the plan going forward to win the national league a couple of months later and thankfully it did. Declan Toland: ⁓ nerves. Talk to me about my nerves. Do you get my much nerves walking out to the ring? Brian kennedy: Yeah, I'm actually very bad, but I think in general, think it's natural to have nerves. If you're not nervous, no matter what it is you're doing, if you're even in work and stuff, if there's a responsibility there that you have to look after, or if there's a course you have to do, if you're not nervous about it or something wrong with it, it's just like you don't care, that kind of way. So I think it's good to have nerves, yeah. Declan Toland: Absolutely. And do you have any rituals that you do before every fight? Brian kennedy: Just the one is just my cousin passed away a man a year ago, 10 or 15 year ago, Jack Weir was his name. ⁓ And he left behind his wristbands and I still have the two of them but I wear one of them on my right ankle and just before the bellarines I go down and touch my right ankle just to keep me safe more than anything, you know. Declan Toland: ⁓ yeah free touching as well. so you you lost your cous your sorry cousin was it? Brian kennedy: Cousin Jack, where are you at? Declan Toland: And you were very close and growing up. Brian kennedy: I was, yeah. He was big into the hurling. He's from a hurling town called Ballymere, Ballymere Northley. He loved all sports as well, yeah. Declan Toland: Offley's a big a big ⁓ hurling spot now at the moment, isn't it? Is it ⁓ and the Gaelic at the moment, Vicky ⁓ the Gaelic done the loss there was it they lost recently there and ⁓ one of the big final they won a semi was it semifinal, quarter final or something? Weekly. we talked about major injuries, so I talked about ⁓ setbacks and your back and your wrist. Talk to me about your back injury. Talk to me a bit about your back injury. How do we get that? Brian kennedy: against Wicclo yeah yeah NICE Yeah so it was just after Covid and ⁓ I was after testing positive with COVID and there was a boxing competition in around that same time. So I tested positive for argument's sake just on the Monday and I had COVID throughout the week. And then the following Monday, I went over to another competition and obviously my body and system was still a bit run down or whatever. And yeah. So I competed, fought in two fights, two very very tough fights and I didn't know my back whatever happened during one of them fights I'd done something to my back and I ended up having to come back and get an MRI and I was brought up then to Sandra Sports Clinic and I got an injection on my lower back. Declan Toland: ⁓ talk to me, what's a what's an average so what's a training session like for Brian Kennedy? Brian kennedy: Yeah, so two sessions, it depends now if you're coming up to competition like five, six, seven weeks out from the competitions, it'd be two sessions, six days a week and one day a rest day. I'd either do my run in the morning, a track, a sprint session or a 5k in the morning between 5 and 7k and then in the evening then it'd be my boxing session or vice versa with along with that then a couple of S &C sessions thrown in there too. Declan Toland: And what's is there much of a difference from training with the D F in a training camp than training with the of the I obviously Irish team deletes? There obviously is, is there? Brian kennedy: ⁓ There's not much of, much as Dekhi. The Defence Forces boxing team are very good, like they good coaching staff there and ⁓ the same with the high performance unit. Obviously the high performance unit is high performance and yeah so there's not that much of a difference if I'm being honest. Declan Toland: Yeah, we've ⁓ I think we talked about before but we've ⁓ local at her John ⁓ Joe Ward. Brian kennedy: Yes. Declan Toland: So he was he obviously trained at that level for a while. Have you had the experience of training with him or fighting with him? Brian kennedy: Yeah, I've sparred Joe a good few times. Great, great guy. I reckon he's probably the best amateur boxer ever to come out of Ireland. Always achieved, like 16 years of age, competing in the National Elite Final against Kenny Egan, Olympic silver medallist. Like at 16, to beat him a couple of times then, think he beat him twice to an elite final. Yeah. He's just tremendous, tremendous talent. Declan Toland: And I only seen a video the other day. He's actually still training ⁓ kids there in that lone boxing club like Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah, I heard he's helping out big time over there and I think they're looking to get a new boxing club in Athlone, Athlone Boxing Club too, so I think he's played a big part in that as well. Declan Toland: And he's he's still young as well, isn't Brian kennedy: He is, yeah. Yeah, things like he's around forever. That's it too, like like, when, like, that back then when he beat Kenny Egan, like that would have been a big, big thing at the time, like such an upset, you know, 16 year old beating an Olympic silver medalist, like was crazy. But like, that's probably why it seems so long ago, like 16. I don't know, I'm not too sure what age he is now, sure. I suppose he's 30 or 32, 33 maybe, I don't know. But yeah. Declan Toland: Yeah, it was ⁓ And ⁓ does boxers what t what year of like I know we're like the professional boys, like what when does boxing stop? Is there roughly an age or is is it wrong? Brian kennedy: No, ⁓ suppose when you know, know, when you fall out with love of the sport, I think that's the time to stop. Yeah. Declan Toland: Or do ⁓ Tyson Fury and retire five times. Brian kennedy: Yeah, he is mad. He's crazy. I seen he actually is he's a fight announced there for the 24th of July over in Thailand or something like that. Yeah. Declan Toland: See that, seen that. Madman. Anthony Josh, Ant will Anthony Josh ever fight him, will he? Brian kennedy: I hope so, yeah. Apparently this is what Fiori's coming back for now is to look to have a fight with Joshua towards the end of the year. So I think this is like a warm-up fight. He'll probably have another fight along with before he fights Joshua at the of the year, hopefully, yeah. Declan Toland: Be all money, isn't it? All about money. Talk to me about three minute rounds. Three rounds so you're in the boxing ring. How do we shr like we talked about training, but you must gas it. We look we watched Conor McGregor there in the in la a couple of years ago in the ring and he got they keeps any gases out early. But how do you prevent that? Brian kennedy: That's it. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's just down to your preparation and what you do outside of your training and whatever, like how you have to live the life, like, you know. Yeah, three minutes feels a long time if you're not fit, if you're not ring fit. Declan Toland: Yeah, I don't know, I I don't know, three minutes. I it's you're thinking about like I'm a runner and I do like three minutes like say if I do three minutes on, like that's tight and that's just running. So imagine trying to throw bo throw the throw boxes trying to run away from people and and getting hit at same time. Yeah, it's very, very tough. so in terms of ⁓ the the we talked about Kamanamody and John Malai and stuff like that, and ⁓ what was the other officer's name, sorry, you mentioned? Brian kennedy: and avoid them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's tough going now, yeah. Commoner name is Adrian Watson. Declan Toland: So like talk to me a small bit about them, like the time and effort that they put into the boxing of the DF. Brian kennedy: Yeah, the effort, the support that they give you, like, you know, if you're on the Defence Forces boxing team and you have a competition coming up, like, you get really well looked after and they're always checking in with you too, like, yeah, see how you're getting on, see how training's going, if you need anything, they're there to help, like, you know, they're great, yeah. Declan Toland: And ⁓ in terms of nutrition and tr nutrition, so is it very, very important for a boxer boxer at your level to watch what we're eating and drinking? Brian kennedy: ⁓ I think a good balance decade, you know, if you have a fight coming up or competition coming up like when you're five or six weeks out, that's where you have to be strict on your nutrition and staying away from alcohol and messing about or whatever. But I think a good balance though, when you're out of competition, I think it's no harm to have a point here or have your take away. It's no harm whatsoever. ⁓ Declan Toland: What's your Brian kennedy: Might be getting a Chinese now later on. Since I'm good bit away from the next competition. Declan Toland: That's the question I was gonna ask you. So if I So your I was the next question was what's to t what's your takeaway food if you had to pick one? So it'll be Chinese. Brian kennedy: Chinese spice bag, satay sauce and a portion of salt and chili chicken balls. Yeah. What about yourselves? Declan Toland: And are you gonna buy are you gonna buy that now or are you is Kara gonna buy that? Brian kennedy: ⁓ stuff. Declan Toland: ⁓ brain is pay there. Remember that now ends there So alcohol. So t talk to me if you had a p you when you're not training you go for a point, what what what would what would be your point? Brian kennedy: Yeah. Point to Guinness, Declan, yeah, a few points to Guinness. If there's something on now and there's no competition coming up, yeah, a few points to Guinness and watch whatever it is. Whatever it is at the moment, it'd be the World Cup. In the next couple of weeks now, I'll be knuckling down and training as it is, but in terms of training twice a day, preparation for a competition that'll be starting now shortly. Declan Toland: And would that be important to pass that message ⁓ like out to people that's listening there? Like it obviously you're at at the level you're at and you still have a life and you still have like is it is that important that you have to have them parts, you have to have them times as well to enjoy your life? Brian kennedy: Yeah, 100 % sure. Mentally, I've done it for years. Up until the age of 25, this is genuine truth. wouldn't be out socializing with my friends or be missing out on parties, out on everything or whatever. And then in terms of nutrition as well, I'm so strict on what I eat. But I think it's not good mentally, so I think you have to have a... good balance to ⁓ be happy and to enjoy your sport and when it's time to knuckle down then you're more hungry for it and you're more disciplined for it as well. Declan Toland: how do we cope with losing? Brian kennedy: Come back again. Just come back again. It's gonna be raw. It's gonna be hard at the start, like after a loss, but that's life in general. Like you're gonna have your ups and downs. Like you just have to keep getting back up and going again, like believing in yourself and for the next goal that's ahead. Declan Toland: Who's the your hardest ever opponent? You ever boxed? Brian kennedy: A guy out in Russia back in 2012, it's been that long ago but I still remember it. He punched so hard. I think it was actually, yeah I'm wrong there, it was two years after, so would have been 2014. A guy from Russia, he was an animal altogether. Just couldn't get him off my chest and punched so hard at that age as well. But yeah, Russia. Declan Toland: He'd be he definitely would be. in terms of people who helped you throughout your career, who would ya who would you have to thank and who would be the people that stand out for you? Brian kennedy: Yeah, obviously my mother and father, I want to, the achievements, what I have achieved, I wouldn't have achieved without them, like the support they've given me throughout the years in terms of boxing and just in general, my mother and father and then close friends and family as well. And then obviously I want to thank the defense forces. The guys in the unit and the guys with the Defence Force boxing team, they're great, great people and the support they've given me is just, it's unbelievable. I'd like to thank John Malay and John Moody and Adrian Watson and Donald Donnelly and Tommy Tuer and Aoife Harrington. The list is endless, I could go on here for days. And just the people of Dangan as well, the support they've given me throughout the years after winning. competitions, know, I've often came back there and to be a parade there for me and stuff like that. So yeah, it's great. I have great support. Thank God. Declan Toland: What's a f what's that feeling coming back to your home parish and to have a home prayer for a prayer for you? What's that feel like? Brian kennedy: It's a strange feeling, yeah, but it's very good. It's very appreciated too, like, you know. Declan Toland: It must be a mad feeling because like if a football team comes back or a Gaelic team comes back, like they're they're they're praising they're praying the team, like they're they're praising you. Like they're literally all out there for you. Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah, I know it's great and the support, as I said earlier on, it's a great town and everybody supports each other and everybody knows each other and yeah, I think it's great. Declan Toland: And talk to me about your your dad was your coach for a while and then he left he so you had him on the side ring for a while and then he came he was a wa he was a spectator then. Talk to me about that feeling. Brian kennedy: Yeah, as I said, 2025 after I had the conversation with my mom, I asked her, what should I do now? Should I be training out the back and just do pads and I do my runs in the morning and organize sparring? And he said, no. So he sent me to Liam Brayton and thankfully he did because Liam has been great to me as well. He gave me a lot of belief as well when I was down, like when I was in the club, like he's great mentally, he's great. With me mentally, you know, he makes you believe in yourself. so I had joined Eden Dury and went on then a couple of months later and won the national elites. Without that, after everything throughout the years, after winning juvenile All-Irelands and under 18 All-Ireland and national senior intermediate titles with my father and missing out then throughout the years, I think I was beating in four elites. two elite finals and two semi-finals with my dad in my corner. To go on and finally win it then with Bridges eating dairy, it was still such an unbelievable feeling. Glancing down and seeing Dad sitting ringside with just a big smile on his head, a smile on his face just really meant something special to me. Declan Toland: And he probably enjoyed it more as a spectator than being it in the corner. Brian kennedy: That's what he said after to me. That's what he said to me after. Yeah. said, yeah, he was delighted for me. know, just, yeah. Declan Toland: Yeah, so so we're gonna finish off there, ⁓ Brain, ⁓ with a few quick fire round ⁓ questions for you, okay? there it's called quick fire, but if takes a few minutes, it takes a few minutes. Okay. Brian kennedy: Yeah. Declan Toland: ⁓ And me I'm dyslexic, Brian, so it takes me ages to read the questions out. So Herr, you're in the DF and you're you're in the DF and you're living you're you're living in a small little village. So the first question we're gonna say, do you drink tea or coffee? Brian kennedy: ⁓ I'm not too far off of myself. ⁓ I like a cup of tea though now and then. In the evenings yeah, chilling now having a cup of tea with your digestive biscuits yeah. Declan Toland: Biscuits in the tea? Yes. It can't be the half pack of pack of pack a half pack of biscuits later and you're y you realize. Early morning sessions or late late evening sessions. Brian kennedy: Yeah Early morning, Dece, yeah. I just think you're fresh, you're full of energy. Yeah, early morning. Declan Toland: We talked about already your toughest opponent, so I franchise the the Russian fella. Brian kennedy: Yeah, and up there as well, I've fought many good lads. Connor Wallace, Keevan Hines, Keelan Cassidy. Yeah. Declan Toland: Who's your toughest opponent in the DF? Brian kennedy: I fought Shane Cunningham twice. I fought him in the All Armies one year and then a couple of months later then that was after losing the Leeds. I fought Shane and I lost and then a couple of months later then I boxed him in the National League Championships and I beat him there so it's 1-1 now at the moment. Declan Toland: Well y is he you've the D F you've the boxing championship coming up now with the D F one. Is he is he fine? Brian kennedy: except that I'm not too sure to be honest I'm not too sure but yeah yeah I'd say Shane Coneyham anyways for my hardest fight within the defence forces yet Declan Toland: If you watch a Mac for watching Okay. What's your favorite boxing venue? Brian kennedy: The M &S Arena over in Liverpool, I it was something special, was class, yeah. Unbelievable. Declan Toland: ⁓ the hardest military course you've ever completed. Brian kennedy: or directly course. Declan Toland: So three words to describe yourself. And I know you're quite a lad, so think of three words to describe yourself. Brian kennedy: Yes, yes. Hey! I relaxed, calm and respectful. Declan Toland: From the best advice you've ever received. Brian kennedy: Don't give up. Declan Toland: Favorite meal ⁓ the the favorite meal yeah, you your go to meal after making way? Brian kennedy: Yes. After making weight? Well see it's tricky enough there because you'd be with the amateur boxing you have to fight that day like say when in the morning and you'd be fighting that evening so you still have to eat clean enough like but after the competition I suppose that's the type of question you're asking is it like after the competition? Yeah probably Chinese yeah, Swiss bag satay sauce. Declan Toland: Okay. So it's different. Yeah. Well yeah, I you love your old Chinese, don't you? ⁓ so ⁓ yeah, I just wanted probably you've probably loads of people, but you've one person who has the biggest influence on your career. I'd probably know you're just your father, is it? Brian kennedy: Hehehehe Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. Only for I'm sure if it didn't bring me into Tullmore Box Club that time, I wouldn't have. I don't know what I'd be doing now, decade, you know? Declan Toland: Yeah. Favourite place you've ever visited when boxing. you've visited many countries. What's your favourite? Brian kennedy: It's between Russia and China. I we were amazing in the wrong ways. Declan Toland: the biggest lesson boxing has taught you. Brian kennedy: just humbled you, you know? Yeah, it humbled you. Declan Toland: If you anything like so if it makes you humble, yeah. ⁓ if you weren't a boxer or a soldier, what would you be? Brian kennedy: Yeah. I don't know. I do not know. It's all in ordeck here, so I don't know. Declan Toland: They're hard questions, it's really dy. ⁓ what's one thing people would ⁓ be surprised to know about you? I think we we had a talk about this before. Brian kennedy: Yeah, yeah. ⁓ I don't know. Declan Toland: You're a go be a good singer, Brian Kennedy be a good singer. What'd he? Brian kennedy: No, no, no, no, no, no. Declan Toland: A good answer. Brian kennedy: No, unless I have a few drinks in me, but I can't sing anyway. Declan Toland: Think w we're we all think we're great dancers. I can't either don't worry. ⁓ who'd win in a ra who'd win in a race around the barracks, you or any of your mates? Brian kennedy: Ha ha. Ha. What? Declan Toland: Who'd win in a race in around the barracks there? Yourself or do you have anybody in the barracks there in in your unit would beat you in race? Yeah. Brian kennedy: would beat me. I wouldn't be a fast runner now but ⁓ yeah I'd I'd be left behind. Declan Toland: One thing still left in your bucket list. So one thing you'd love to do in your life if before you retire Brian kennedy: I just want to win a major international medal. Declan Toland: ⁓ So in terms of like people that are looking to join the b ⁓ to become boxers or get into any high p high performance sports or any sorts of sports, what advice would you give them? Brian kennedy: If you have the love in a sport, just put everything into it and your time will come after losses or things going wrong. Always keep coming back because if you have a love for the sport, it will work out for you. That's what I say for that. Declan Toland: if someone wants to become a boxer how how would they join? How would they become looking for anybody? Brian kennedy: Just show up to your local boxing club and see what you think and if you love it, you love it, stick with it and if you don't then leave it at that. It's like anything, if you don't have the love for something, just leave it, like, you know. Declan Toland: All right, Brian, we leave it at that. Brian, thanks for you. Thanks a million for taking the time to come on my podcast. ⁓ it's been a brilliant hearing your story from joining the Defence Forces to represent Ireland on the international stage and representing the Ireland ⁓ the DF. ⁓ really appreciate your honesty, your wish, and I wish you every success going forward. ⁓ yeah, really, really a nice guy and you really are a foot ⁓ an unbelievable career. Still ahead of you. You're still you're such a young lad. I hope to see ya represent the country on the Olympics and and hopefully going further going forward into the pros. Brian kennedy: Awfully, please. Declan Toland: And and hopefully we have you back one day when we we have a Olympic medal around your neck. Brian kennedy: Yes, hopefully please God. Yeah Thanks very much. Thank you very much for having me. Thank you really appreciate it. And I wish you all the best with the podcast going forward Declan Toland: ⁓ brain No, brilliant. Thanks very much, ⁓ Brian. If anybody liked this like this story, ⁓ don't forget to comment, like and subscribe. ⁓ for I'm back for another episode next week. Thanks very much for listening.