Knuckle by James Quinn McDonagh

Irish travellers live in a closed community. What we think we know about them is based on hearsay, rumour and stereotype. But not any more.

Knuckle is the true story of James Quinn McDonagh clan head and champion bare-knuckle fighter. It’s a journey from his grandfather’s horse-drawn caravan at the side of the road to the country lanes of Ireland where he stood, fists bloodied and bandaged, fighting a clan war that he never asked for.

Two men, two neutral referees, a country lane. No gloves, no biting, no rests. The last man standing wins, takes home the money, and more importantly, the bragging rights.

Caught in a brutal cycle of violence that has left men dead, houses burned and lives destroyed, James tells a story that opens up a hidden world revealing why history repeats itself, and why he can never go home