The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-27
ANCIENT ERIN HAD
FIRST BOXING BOUTS
Great Fairs of Ireland Were
Scenes of Famous Fights
Among Champions.

! If VIC read back far enough into an.
! cent Irish history. We find old Erin
I had scientific fighting champions long
! before any other country i'm Europe,
In fact the gallant sons Sf the Little
Green Isle >, were always willing to en-
! Ter physical contests from thcir very
! origin, OF rs Tar as VIC can 90 back.
/ The great fairs ancicntlv held in Ire
land were not like their modern repre-.
ScntatIVcS marc markets, but were
| gatherings of the people TO celebrate
funerals, games and other religious rites
during pagan times; to hold pnrlia-
mcnts. promulgate laws, listen to the
recitation of tales and poems, engage in
contests of arms. pnYSIcai combats.
Iy games of the day. They were analo-
gous IN many ways to The olympau and
other games of ancient Greece.
There IS an ancient Gaelic tract on
the origin of the names OF places in
ireland, which is called ''Dindscn-
chas. From il VIC learn that the fairs
of Tale. or Tailtcn, named after the
daughter of the king of Spain. who mar
ricd EochId Garbb. the Irish king who
Tara. According TO the Dindscnchas, -
The far OF Talltcn was established $500
wears i. G.; according to the " Annual
Of the Four Masters 1910. These
dates whatever may he their real value
certainly Indicate the great antiquity
of the sporting fair of ''OlJ Erin. -
Tailten was mountain in Meath,
and The fair lasted some fifteen days
after the lst Of August every wear
The great fair ut Tailtcn continued
down to the time of Rodcricl . 'Counor
the last monarch of Erin, and was held
annually August |, which month derives
It's name in the Irish language from this
very circumstance, being called Lu9h-
nssadh, or Lugh $ fair-the Lammas
daY-to which many ancient rites and
ceremonies arc still attached through.
out Ireland
IT was at this great yearly gathering
that the champion fighters Of Ireland
contested for honor and costly prizes
offered by the old Irish kings. History,
however. does not furnish us with much
detail regarding these battles but the
best men of the country gathered be
fore the mobiles and kings of ireland IN
physical contests Of boxing. wrestling
running and other athletic sports.
They tell us the Irish champions dc,
fcatcd those Of Spain, Greece. Denmark
and other nations who boxed with
them, for they were far superior in
science. quickncss, strength and game.
ness.
Probably the most satisfactory ac-
count preserved of these great athletic
meetings was that Of the fair ut Car
mon. This account is preserved in frag-
lncnts of poem in the precious old
80 Book Of Lemster "a work known
Ito have been compiled from ancient
MSS. in the year ll50-which is one
of the treasures of Trinity College,
also contains a description OF the fair
Of Carmen.
The famous fair was held al Carmen
every three years in great style. Be
sides the markets of cattle. mcrchan~
disc. arms, etc, there were poems read
laws revised, contests between hards,
seven horse races. various military
shows and great athletic events M
which the champion boxers of ireland
and other countries contested,