Progress planned on long-awaited Maxie McCullagh statue

Action is set to be taken on a statue honouring boxing legend Maxie McCullagh. In response to a request by Cllr Andrew Duncan, the executive of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad confirmed at the November meeting that, subject to members’ approval, the community group proposing the statue will meet with the incoming arts officer to discuss design costs and site selection. The district will provide support, and funding may be included in the 2026 estimates.

Cllr Duncan said the statue had stalled in recent years despite broad agreement. “It’s come off the radar once or twice. I’ve brought it up several times. We’ve agreed it several times. It’s just a matter of getting the funding,” he said.

He highlighted McCullagh’s significance to the town: “This is an individual who, at a time when Mullingar wouldn’t have been particularly well known, put it on the map in boxing circles. He’s iconic. In terms of Mullingar, there’s a small number of people who know who he is. He deserves better recognition. He was a superstar in his day, and I really want to see that statue progressed.”

Director of services Deirdre Reilly said the council would support the project in 2026. “As the response says, we have a new arts officer coming in, and I know that Pat Kavanagh (district engineer) has said he’ll look at design costs and site selection. We’ll do that next year.”

Who was Michael ‘Maxie’ McCullagh?

Michael ‘Maxie’ McCullagh (21 June 1922-30 March 2001) competed for Ireland in the men’s lightweight event at the 1948 London Olympics, reaching the quarter‑finals.

A year later, he made history by becoming the first Irish boxer to win a European title outside Ireland, claiming the European lightweight championship in Oslo.

McCullagh was known for his aggressive southpaw style and sharp left hand, his ring tactics described as ‘terrier‑like’. After retiring from competition in 1952, he remained active in coaching and promoting boxing locally.