The Birth Of An Obsession

Jump to 4:58 in the Video for the good stuff!



The 1991 welterweight World Champion arrived in Barcelona as a prohibitive favourite. A product of the legendary Cuban amateur system, he raced through to the final, winning two fights inside the distance and outpointing his other two opponents by a combined score of 17-2. The stage, quite simply, was set for Juan Hernandez to join a lengthy and ever growing roll-call of Cuban boxers – a list including such luminaries as Teófilo Stevenson and Ángel Herrera – in being crowned Olympic champion. But the rangy and stylish southpaw had not reckoned on one thing – a 5’7 Army corporal from Drimnagh, named Michael Carruth.

Carruth returned a star, a hero the entire country could embrace. He was a kindly spoken family man, a ferocious competitor but above all else, a winner. For 26 years since Ronnie Delaney shocked the world in Melbourne, Ireland had waited to taste Olympic success again. And just a few hours after Wayne McCullough fell just short, a ginger kid had brought home gold.

Immediately promoted to Sergeant, Carruth traveled Ireland in the following months, kissing hands and shaking babies so to speak. I should know – I was one of those babies. 4 years old, my dad brought me to meet him at an opening of…oh, I don’t know, something or other. I was 4 for Christ’s sake, give me a break! Anyway, he was gracious and kind, hoisting me up on his shoulder for a picture as I tugged on the prize that hung proudly around his neck. The photo is around somewhere but even if it never surfaces again, the memory is burned in my brain. And its not the only memory, either.

Most people will always remember their first heroes, but few people will have their heroes as their first memory. But I can honestly say that, hand on heart, I cannot remember a single moment of my life prior to watching Michael Carruth leap around the ring as his hand was raised. His celebrations were mirrored by the majority of my extended family gathered in our living room. My dad picked me up – he had tears in his eyes. Even thinking of it, there are tears in mine.