The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-21
BOXING IN IRELAND
OVER 5000 YEARS AGO

many historic writer's have claim
ed that boxing, or the manly art of
self defense, originated in ancient
Greece some 1000 years ago. That
it was ThesuS, son of Aegus, king of
Athens, who first conceived the idea
Of boxing bouts and formed the first
real ring rules for the f1stie sport,
says Jack Shelley of Yonkers.
Somehow or, other, nearly all the
highbroW historians overlook the an
cient Gaelic books so carefully stored
away as treasures in Trinity college,
Dublin There are many of them
which go to prove that boxing was
a popular and very strenuous sport
on the little green isle over 5000
years ago. Long before Greece or
Rome had thought of having contests
between their mighty ig1adiators in
their popular. and famous battling
arenas.
The Book of Leinster,'' compiled
from ancient manuscript alone, with
out going into the other volumes, full
ly- proves my ciai1n-taat Ireland was
the first country in the wor1dAto orig
mate and conduct civilized. sktlfu1
boxing, under rules and regulations.
One of the most illustrious Of the
Irish monarchs was Cormac U1fodak,
who fIourished about the middle of
the third century. To his nunificence
and love of learning the country was
indebted, it is said, for the founda-
ton of three academies at Tara, in
the first of which the science of war
was taught. Young; gallant, game
men found much favor with the king,
and he often had them exhibit their
physical prowess before him in wrest-
ling and boxing bouts, as an amuse-
ment.
Cormac himself must have been
some fighter, indeed, for in defend
ing his province from rebellious at
r-1r I%eIe
According to the ancient custom OF
the country, no one could retain pos
session of the throne who was mark
ed with any personal blemish, so poor
Cormac was thereby disqualified and
was Obliged to retire from the SOW
ereignity after a brilliant career. So
probably champions with caulifower
ears and badly broken noses would
not figure very highly in swell society
in those old days in Ireland.
Towards the close of the eighth
century, Ireland was invaded by the
session of the chief maritime towns
for more than 200 years. During this
period an almost uninterrupted series
of wars existed between the natives
and the invaders, and many a bat,
Ting Dane, like my friend, Bat Mel
son. was Knocked out for the count
by the fist or battleaxe OF a fighting
son of Erin.
It was our brave battler. Brian
Boru, the King of Ireland in 1914,
who collected his small forces and
fought the Danes off Irish soil into
the sea, with immense slaughter. This
was the great battle of Clontarf,
which proved the gallant Irish fight
ing spirit and bravery, even against
a larger opposing army, still existed
among the brave Celts.
\ Although brave Dan Donne1ly has
been dead almost a hundred years,
his valiant deeds of glory in the ring
are fresh in our memories. For it
was the gallant Dan who defeated
George Cooper for the championship
of all England, on the Curragh of
Kildare. and after this decisive bat
feated the great Tom Oliver and all
other Britishers whom he could in
duce to meet him.
We often read about Bob FTtzsim-
mons wonderful victories over big,
heavy men, when he was only a mid
look game Jack Randall, 'tThe Prime
Irish Lad who went to England
when only a lightweight and conquer
ed such heavyweights as West Coun-
try Dick BeIasco, the Jew (not the
of today; Jack Turner,
Deaf Burke and all other coniers. Nor
should we forget courageous Jack
Langan, nor Ned O'Ba1dwin, nor Joe
Coburn, former heavyweight cham |
pion of America; nor John Morrissey;
who also held that title; nor Jim
Dunn another champion; nor gallant |
Jack Dempsey, nor Jack McAuliffe;
Ike O'NeiI- Weir, the Belfast Spider; |
Tom Sharkey, Dave and Spike Sul1i- |
van, Jim Coffey, Peter sMaher, George |
Gardner, and whole bunch of 9th
ers who first saw the light of day
on the Emerald Isle.