Career
Barrett is from Galway City and is of Irish Traveller heritage. He was introduced to boxing by trainer, mentor and former boxer Chick Gillen. Barrett had in excess of 250 bouts as an amateur fighter and represented Ireland internationally.
During the Olympics Barrett competed in the light welterweight division.
Foreign this he gained global media attention and became a national hero. His results were:
Defeated Zely Fereria Dos Santos (Brazil) 32-7
Lost to Fethi Missaoui (Tunisia) 6-18
Barrett turned professional in August 2000 and now fights at light welterweight, out of Wembley, London.
He now fights at light middleweight. In March 1999, Barrett was ejected from a Galway nightclub.
Barrett filed a lawsuit for the ejection.
lieutenant followed Barrett for three years and showed him overcoming discrimination as he progressed up the amateur boxing ranks to eventually carry the Irish flag and box for Ireland at the age of 19 during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.