Co Down strongman ready to take on best of Britain

A Northern Irish strongman is preparing to take on some of the UK's giants later this week, in events that will include single-handedly pulling a truck.

Sean O'Hagan, 26, warmed up for the Rudridge Ultimate Strongman Giant Weekend which begins on Thursday in Belfast by tucking into an appropriately gargantuan breakfast.

Between mouthfuls he said, perhaps unsurprisingly "I am always hungry".

The lofty lifter stands at nearly seven feet tall and as the cameras flashed at Crumlin Road Goal, he got stuck into four plates of Ulster fry, groaning heaps of bacon, sausages, soda farls and potato bread.

Mr O'Hagan downed the best part of a fried feast of 400g of baked beans, 400g of chopped tomatoes, soda farls and potato bread, 12 rashers of bacon and 12 sausages. He left most of the black pudding.

He eats a 10,000 calorie mountain of food every day. Strongmen can typically consume around a kilo of steak in a single day.

All this food doesn't come cheap. Sean's shopping bill can top £400 for a week.

He washes cars to make ends meet.

"The sport is so small and everyone wants to see big guys lifting all this big weight but the council in Banbridge does not even recognise the sport as a sport so it is hard."

The massive meals are essential fuel, as he lifts dumbbells the size of two adults and carry some of the world's heaviest Atlas stones, super-sized and created specially in Northern Ireland.

He is aiming for a podium finish in this week's contest.

Among his favourite events are the tyre flip, farmers' walk - lifting two weights on either side and carrying for a distance - and lorry pulling.

"I have not been beaten in the last four years at the lorry pull so it is a good event."

He has been competing across Europe with more trips planned for the coming weeks.

This weekend's competition has been organised by renowned strongman Glenn Ross from Bangor in Co Down.

He said: "People can die doing this, it is as simple as that. You are lifting a thousand pound tyre and if it falls on you it will crush you to death.

"They are pulling seven tonne trucks, planes, trains; it is the sort of sport that has people in awe of them.

"They are superhuman these guys, they train hours a day, seven days a week at times.

"The preparation is pretty brutal leading to the event and the competitions normally are brutal as well.

"But it has to be to find the strongest guy."