Rumble in the rectory: Irish priest takes to the ring (AFP)

An Irish Catholic priest gave a whole new meaning to “white collar boxing” at the weekend after taking to the ring to battle a parishioner in a charity fight. Father Pierre “Jalapeno” Pepper donned the boxing gloves for the first time as part of his parish’s fundraising “Saint Patrick’s Weekend Punch-Up”, ahead of Ireland’s national day on Tuesday for its patron saint. Hundreds of locals in the small town of Banagher in County Offaly, on the banks of the River Shannon in central Ireland, packed into a marquee at the back of a pub Saturday night to see a number of locals fight — but the clash of priest versus parishioner was the main event for most. White collar boxing, where men and women from “white collar” professions take part in fights, has become a popular method of fundraising for charities in Ireland in recent years.