McGuigan to receive peace award

7 September 2010

Former World champion Barry McGuigan will be presented with a prestigious Inspiration Award for peace at Belfast City Hall on Tuesday 21st September as part of the United Nations Peace Day Campaign.

The former featherweight king was a beacon of hope during the dark days of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and Springboard Opportunities, a Belfast based charity, has nominated Barry to receive the award to highlight his contribution to peace in Northern Ireland.

The presentation to Barry will be part of a day to promote and celebrate peace across the Emerald Isle and around the world.

Springboard Opportunities Marketing Manager Paula Quinn said, We have a Peace Day committee and they nominated Barry. For the UN International Day of Peace we want to look at the past but also look at the future. And we looked at the history of Barry and he came though the Troubles, there was a lot of sectarianism and he united people through that.

We thought that Barry is everything that the award is about, somebody who can build bridges, somebody who chose a different path, a path of peace and he hasn’t forgotten where he has come from.

He wore the dove of peace on his shorts and had the peace flag when he walked to the ring so we couldn’t have a better recipient of the award.