Paddy Monaghan was born in the village of Ederney, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. When Paddy was 5 years old, his father, broke and desperately trying to make ends meet, uprooted the family to Abingdon, England. Often bullied and ridiculed as a young lad for his strong Northern Ireland accent, Paddy, determined that no one would push him around, quickly learned to fight with ferocity beyond his years. This was the beginning of a long and renowned career as a bare-knuckle fighter. He retired in 1980 and now, almost 30 years later, his extraordinary 114 bare-knuckle fight win record is still intact. He returned to the small Irish village of Ederney where he lives today. PETER GERRARD is a crime writer and biographer. He lives near Boston in rural Lincolnshire with his wife and son. Amongst others he has worked with Reggie Kray, Ronnie Knight and was the co-author of Lenny McLean's autobiography - The Guv'nor - the surprise bestseller of 1998.