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The Fighting Irishmen: Celebrating Celtic Prizefighters 1820 to Present boxing exhibition launched its Dublin tour at Croke Park’s GAA Museum recently.
Such dignitaries as the venerable Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, the United States Ambassador to Ireland, and former world featherweight champion and boxing Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan joining curator Jim Houlihan were at the kick off the eclectic exhibition celebrating 200 years of Irish and Irish American boxing featuring memorabilia, artifacts and photographs on Irish pugilists.
A signed glove and trunks from iconic world heavyweight champion Mohammed Ali and his 1972 match against Al ‘Blue’ Lewis at Croke Park, the unique mummified arm of Irish champ Dan Donnelly, and a drawing of legendary Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, Sr. from his days as an amateur fighter are among the wide array of highlights.
The Fighting Irishmen has already enjoyed successful stays in New York City at the Irish Arts Center and South Street Seaport, Boston and at the Ulster American Folk Museum in Omagh, County in Tyrone Ireland. The Dublin soiree continues through the end of August.
Gloves, robes, punch bags, photographs, programs, posters, paintings and film footage are among the many relevant pieces in the exhibition featuring past Irish boxing standouts of years gone by including John L Sullivan, Gene Tunney, Tom Sharkey and Billy Conn.
For more details, fight fans can log onto www.crokepark.ie/gaa-museum.
