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John Joe Nevin making his professional debut last month. Emily Harney/INPHO

Man arrested after Olympic medallist John Joe Nevin injured in Mullingar attack

The boxer is believed to have suffered a broken leg.

Updated 9.45pm

A MAN IN his 20s has been arrested after Olympic silver medallist John Joe Nevin suffered a broken leg in an attack this morning.

Nevin, who won the bantamweight silver at the 2012 London Olympics, is recovering in hospital after he was attacked in the Ardleigh area of Mullingar.

Gardaí were called to the scene of the dispute outside a house at approximately 11.30am.

Three people, including Nevin, were hospitalised following the incident. The other two injured people – a man and a woman, both in their 20s – are believed to have minor injuries.

The man in his 20s was arrested this afternoon and is being held at Mullingar Garda Station.

Gardaí have said that enquiries are ongoing and have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

In a statement issued this evening, Nevin’s promoters GreenBlood Boxing confirmed that the boxer was injured while “attempting to act as a peacemaker” in a family dispute when he was attacked.

The injury — confirmed as a double leg break — is expected to keep the 24-year old out of the ring for between two and three months.

“Our schedule has been thrown off by a few months but hopefully we’ll have John Joe back working hard by mid-summer and have him fighting again stateside in September,” Tom Moran of GreenBlood said.

“John Joe is okay and hopefully the Garda will take care of the matter now. We were hoping to get John Joe headlining a card in Ireland in the fall but we may have to push that back some now because the big push is making him a major attraction in the Irish American audience. We have talks about New York, Boston and Philadelphia fights so we’ll keep working on it.”

Additional reporting: Christine Bohan

Originally published 2.46pm

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63 Comments
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    Mute Massimo Osti
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:12 PM

    Traveller feud no doubt. Hoping he makes a speedy recovery.

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    Mute Saul goodman
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    Time for an experiment. Can everyone green thumb this comment and get it into comments of the week? Will the Journal actually publish it or will they consider it racist?

    410
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    Mute Saul goodman
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    Massimo’s comment obviously, not mine

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    Mute Rupert Ruccus
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:34 PM

    Shit stirring saul !

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    Mute Saul goodman
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:44 PM

    Absolutely Rupert! Over 1000 now. Well done all

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    Mute Rupert Ruccus
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:47 PM

    Wow saul ,I had an idea you went under a few aliases here but didn’t think it was as many. .lucky enough you have so much time on your hands ..good man

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    Mute Gavin Scott
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:07 PM

    Mm. The fact that a ratio of 10 to 1 seem to jump to the conclusion of X, and it happens to be an ethnic minority says it all. Is there a racism problem in Ireland? I think it needs addressing.

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    Mute Saul goodman
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:14 PM

    Maths not your strong point Gavin? 16:1

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    Mute Massimo Osti
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:21 PM

    I don’t consider my comment racist. I was not in anyway derogatory towards the travelling community. I was merely pointing out a fact that this was a feud involving travellers. Still if the comment gets enough likes it will be interesting to see if the journal will publish it in the comments of the week.

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    Mute Darren Turner
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:08 PM

    Jealous travellers from another family most likely

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    Mute Pierce2020
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:10 PM

    Great conclusion jumping there

    213
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    Mute Sean Beep
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:19 PM

    It’s a fairly logical conclusion

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    Mute Colin McNamara
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:02 PM

    Get off your pc high horse Pierce. It’s by far the most likely thing that happened.

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    Mute Ronan Kennedy
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:04 PM

    No pierce your right… Massive assumption there….. Who do you think it was pierce

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:05 PM

    Nevins clan have a feud with the Joyce clan.

    Great boast to say that you beat an olympic medalist, naturally they will leave out the multiples and the iron bars.

    667
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    Mute Stephen
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:22 PM

    I am with you on this one Pierce, nothing to do with being PC. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story.

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Apr 5th 2014, 5:47 PM

    Is this anything to do with Martin Bluebottles Nayvin? I saw a movie about that somewhere… ;-)

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    Mute Guidojoefawkes
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:23 PM

    No conclusion jumping, exactly what happened.

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    Mute Joe Murtagh
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:51 PM

    Her shithed his mother is joyce so talk sense

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    Mute Saul goodman
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:35 PM

    Is that “Big” Joe Murtagh? How ya boss

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    Mute Anthony Connors
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:05 PM

    What a shame a great boxer

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    Mute lucifer
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:20 PM

    They had to viciously attack him cause they wouldn’t have taking him in the ring! The wimps!!

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    Mute Deirdre Doherty
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    Apr 5th 2014, 5:41 PM

    Doesn’t matter if he is a traveller or not hes a excellent boxer .and a nice fella from what I hear. Hope hes ok

    341
    Hank
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    Mute Hank
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:58 PM

    Their culture™

    231
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    Mute liam lally
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:59 PM

    This is the man that was supposed to give good example to the children of the travelling community.
    “You can’t fatten a greyhound”

    209
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:04 PM

    or the line

    “there was never a lally without a few chins”

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    Mute liam lally
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:18 PM

    Never heard that before

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    Mute Aileen Ryan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 5:49 PM

    Disgraceful comments on this. If ye don’t care don’t read. Who cares if he is a traveller or if it was a traveller fued.some of the travelers in this country are better sportsmen than any settled person. His career is on the line if he’s surgery doesn’t go well he’s finished boxing. That’s the real issue for him.

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    Mute Gizmo mac
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:33 PM

    You from Limerick?

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    Mute LittleBlackPetal
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:41 PM

    Get down off your hiace there Bridgie!

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    Mute Wes Mc Loughlin
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:25 PM

    If he fought back he would of lost his licence to box professionally and countless thousands in money from sponsorships and winnings , it’s a sad state of affairs he’s a great boxer .

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    Mute Sam Bartell
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    Apr 6th 2014, 10:07 AM

    I thought so too until I remember him and his Dad being up in court for fighting on the street and being aggressive to the Gardai before Christmas. Think he was order to do voluntary work. No mention of how that affected his licence though.

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    Mute dave mike dolan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 4:56 PM

    Does anyone actually care? That’s the real question

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    Mute Jaymie
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    Apr 5th 2014, 5:19 PM

    Why did you read it and comment if you didn’t care?

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    Mute dave mike dolan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:31 PM

    Because it’s on the news, I read it and it confirmed I couldn’t care less what happens any undesirable

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:14 PM

    An olympic silver medalist is an “undesirable”?

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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:37 PM

    Fights happen but breaking someones leg is way over the top.

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    Mute Molly1952
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:39 PM

    Hope he’ll be OK and that his career isn’t affected. I cheered him on in 2012 and was proud of his achievements. I can’t understand the attititude of some posters here.

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    Mute John Joe
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:09 PM

    Speedy recovery, a great boxer and a excellent representative for ireland in the Olympics

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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:47 PM

    I’m ashamed at the comments on here. The same guys making insensitive comments here were probably once bragging about Ireland’s medal haul at London2001. #gobs€&tes

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    Mute Les Rock
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:57 PM

    What happened in london in 2001?

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    Mute Boleyn
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:56 PM

    Them planes flew into Big Ben ?

    120
    Tom
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    Mute Tom
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:03 PM

    I am a traveller from an Irish family and the definition of my life is a crime for man to see. born as an outcast to those assigned to rule. they consider me a criminal or sometime’s a tool. to be used for there advancement. but I am no ones fool. they do not see my history or understand my pride in the family that rared me to stand strong by there side .they do not understand and can’t be forced to see that like the coming of the morning we will always be. I have tried to understand it there blinkered point of view but can’t twist my head around it to see things like they do. They live in a world where it’s each man for himself we live with our family’s who are always there to help . they think they understand us and what’s best for us to do but we are not there people we know that isn’t true .they think that we should settle stay and move no more withdraw into our shells and hide behind our doors .but I am here to tell them and I only hope they See that there kingdom will be dust before they see that change in me .for I am a proud traveller from an ancient family

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    Mute dave mike dolan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:32 PM

    How much tax do you pay? That’s the litmus test

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    Mute Brendan Foley
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:54 PM

    sure tis only the few bad ones that give ye all a bad name tom – pity ye can’t oust the few bad ones from your wonderfull culture that has added so much to soceity as a whole – and i would be delighted if you could give me some examples of your history and culture that you have so eloquently alluded to but not decribed in any detail.

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    Mute Shane Robinson
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:08 PM

    Now THAT’S sarcasm Brendan! Class

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    Mute stephen flaherty
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:18 PM

    :)))

    11
    Tom
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    Mute Tom
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:20 PM

    Brendan I never mentioned the word culture and i think you’ll find that like the phrase settled community it was coined by the press and not any traveller but if you have any honest questions I’ll try to answer them as best I can

    56
    Tom
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    Mute Tom
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    Apr 5th 2014, 9:24 PM

    Dexter Where did you lose them I’ll help you find them but there probably on someone else’s house by now so not sure I can help. did you get much on your insurance claim after you (lost them)

    59
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    Mute Won Hung Loh
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:50 PM

    Ts again!!

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    Mute John Joe
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    Apr 5th 2014, 8:09 PM

    Speedy recovery, a great boxer and a excellent representative for ireland in the Olympics

    57
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    Mute Luke Broghan
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    Apr 5th 2014, 6:20 PM

    Disgraceful

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    Mute Paul Moran
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    Apr 5th 2014, 7:47 PM

    Is it on Pulse??

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    Mute TOP CAT
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:36 PM

    Its in their nature.
    Fair fight my H*le.
    One on one i don’t think so.

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    Mute TOP CAT
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    Apr 5th 2014, 3:40 PM

    Fair fight i don’t think so.
    One on one i wouldn’t think so.
    All the best Johnjoe.

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    Mute Michael Hunt
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    Apr 6th 2014, 7:44 PM

    I heard he woke up drunk and fell out the front door of his house… while it was moving.

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    Mute Paul Moran
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    Apr 6th 2014, 9:38 AM

    It happened in the Golf Club, a Woman stabbed…

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