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Kieran Farrell – “Anything to do with me and Belfast all stems from John Breen”

Manchester’s Kieran Farrell has a special connection to Belfast,

Before his untimely retirement, ‘Vicious’ Farrell trained at the famous Breen’s Gym, moving from home trainer Bobby Rimmer in search of sparring. Now Farrell, still just 26, is back in Belfast in the capacity of a promoter, and Breen’s Gym has, and will continue to play, a massive part in this new venture.

The legendary John Breen was the man in the corner that December 2012 night in Manchester when Farrell collapsed with a brain bleed following his competitive English lightweight title loss Anthony Crolla. Thankfully the Heywood fighter would make a miraculous recovery and has kept in close contact with Breen since

The veteran trainer is Farrell’s crucial link to the Titanic City, and the former BBBoC Central Area champ is eternally grateful.

“He’s been a massive help,” Farrell told Irish-Boxing.com recently. “Anything to do with me and Belfast all stems from John Breen asking me to come over and train with him.”

The promotional newcomer snapped up seven Irish fighters at the weekend, and his first card on the island will take place at the Devenish Complex on Saturday April 22nd. It seems fitting that the bill will be headlined by another John Breen-trained lightweight, Tyrone’s Feargal McCrory, and Farrell admits that “me going over there to promote fights now is because of him.

“I just want to be there, I love it. He is an old school trainer and I loved it. They had to drag me out of the gym the other day, I was in my suit doing pads with the lads.”

“I was part of the old Breen’s Gym, but the new one is still the same, it’s still got three bags, and it still has the two Calor heaters!”

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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