Story of ‘Massive Danny, Clonmany…and the World’ retold in thrilling radio doc

A brand new documentary about Massive Danny McGonagle and Clonmany Tug of Struggle membership is ready to air on Newstalk this week. 

Everybody is aware of Massive Danny. Not simply right here in Inishowen, however in far-flung locations like South Africa, China, Taiwan, and most of Europe. Wherever, the truth is, the place males, girls, adults, or youngsters pressure each muscle to tug on a rope to greatest their opponents, Massive Danny McGonagle is understood. Wherever you discover the game of tug of conflict, you’ll discover individuals who know Massive Danny. 

As you come into the village of Clonmany, you’ll move a protracted, slim single-story constructing with a tin roof. This plain constructing is house to World Champions. That is the house of Clonmany Tug of Struggle membership, who practice right here within the autumn and winter nights, pulling collectively for one more tilt at European and World glory. They construct them large, they usually dream large, in Clonmany. 

And plenty of extra individuals will find out about him subsequent weekend when Newstalk broadcast a brand new documentary about Massive Danny, the Clonmany membership and his ardour for tug of conflict. ‘Pulling Collectively…’ was produced by Jim Doherty of native media firm Crana Communications. Massive Danny has devoted over 40 years to the game each domestically and world-wide, rising and selling it at each alternative. As he says himself, “It’s a mighty sport, and if God was to offer me one other 40 years or a billion kilos, I’d take the 40 years each time!” 

Clonmany Tug of Struggle Clubhouse

The documentary is centred round Massive Danny fulfilling a lifetime ambition for Donegal to host the World Indoor Tug of Struggle championships. He efficiently achieved this when the Championships have been held within the Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny in February 2020. This was an enormous voluntary group effort with many individuals placing in numerous time to organise and efficiently run the occasion. All this work and energy was almost ruined although as the specter of Covid grew ever nearer. Certainly, two weeks after the Championships ended the nation went into full lockdown. 

‘Pulling Collectively: Massive Danny, Clonmany…and the World’ provides the listener an perception into the game and the individuals concerned in it. For a lot of it’s a part of their household custom, the place grandfathers, fathers and now little kids pull on the rope. One factor that does come throughout clearly within the programme is the sheer ardour and dedication ‘pullers’ have for his or her sport.

As one contributor says, “It’s not about large males with large bellies mendacity on a rope, its extra aggressive than that, its not about weight however approach and coaching.” 

Clonmany B 2020 World Champions

The Clonmany membership can be an integral a part of the local people and performs an necessary function in fundraising for the local people centre, which supplies a spread of companies and actions for the world. This close-knit neighborhood has overcome recession, emigration, and floods to stay sturdy and united. The documentary highlights these points and the way necessary it’s for a neighborhood to ‘pull collectively’. 

‘Pulling Collectively…’ will premiere on Newstalk on Sunday July thirtieth at 7am, be repeated the next Saturday August fifth at 9pm, and the podcast will go reside on the Newstalk web site https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/newstalk-documentary Sunday July thirtieth too. 

‘Pulling Collectively’ was produced and edited by Jim Doherty with the help of funding from the BAI’s Sound and Imaginative and prescient programme.

Story of ‘Massive Danny, Clonmany…and the World’ retold in thrilling radio doc was final modified: July twenty second, 2023 by Employees Author