Time/Date -
Friday 29 May - Sunday 29 November
Celebrating Celtic Prizefighters 1820 to Present. Organised by the Irish Arts Center in New York City
and under the direction of guest curator James J.
Houlihan, ‘Fighting Irishmen’ tells the story of Irish
emigration through the sport of boxing.
A mainstay in New York and Boston for three years,
this is the first time the internationally acclaimed
exhibition has gone on display outside the U.S.A.
The exhibition features an array of robes, gloves,
boxing bags, prints, photographs, paintings
and films of Celtic Prizefighters from 1820
to the present day.
The exhibition offers a unique glimpse at the role
that prizefighting played in the history of Irish
America. Back in earlier decades, as the Irish sought
to find their feet, boxing was often a quick passport
to a better life for those who had a talent for it.
Objects on display include pieces from sporting greats such as John L. Sullivan, ‘Gentleman’ Jim Corbett, James ‘Cinderella Man’ Braddock, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Barry McGuigan, John Caldwell, Freddie Gilroy, Wayne McCullough, John Duddy and material on Muhammed Ali, who also has Irish ancestry. The exhibition also incorporates the 2008 Irish Olympic Boxing team and young professionals currently making their mark on the local and world stage.
Ballymena-born Liam Neeson, Honorary Chair and long time supporter of the Irish Arts Center in New York City, loaned personal items from his amateur career to the exhibit including the gloves given to him by Freddie Gilroy. Perhaps the most unique item in the Omagh exhibition is the late, great Irish fighter Dan Donnelly’s mummified right arm.
Admission Prices