Angus "Aonghas Ruairidh" MacNeil

From page #085-086 "History of Christmas Island Parish":

Rory McNeiI (Hector) settled at Piper’s Cove and married Ann, daughter of John McKinnon (Iain Mac Eoghain Ruaidh), the strong man who died on board the ship, Harmony, on the voyage from Barra to Sydney in 1821.

The issue of this marriage was: John R., Hector, Angus, Joseph, Stephen, James, John A. and Michael.

Angus McNeil (Aonghas Ruairidh) was one of the most noted of the many strong men that Piper’s Cove has produced. Perhaps there were others who were fully as strong as Angus, but none was so full of life as he.

Standing on the floor of his father’s house, he could spring up, strike the ceiling with the heels of his boots, and come down to the floor on his feet again. It is related that one day while at St. Peters, when some parties raised Angus’ temper to the fíghting point, he made a sudden spring and planted his two heels above the door of one of the stores. Shortly after this incident a man named Donald McDonald (Big) who was working in the canal got on a rampage and challenged to fight the best that ever went there from Grand Narrows or Iona.

Angus heard about this, and he accepted the challenge at once. It was agreed that the fíght would be staged in a field west of the town at 7 PM that day. Hundreds went to see the fight, expecting, no doubt, to see a long hard battle. But such it did not prove to be. There was only one blow struck. An eye-witness told the writer that in the very beginning of the first round, Angus McNeil made a drive at his opponent, struck him in the region of the heart, lifted him off his feet and landed him, in a helpless condition, about a dozen feet from the place he was standing on when he received the blow. McDonald was down and out, and the fight was over.

Angus McNeil was a carpenter. He went out to California where he married. He died some years ago.