Ketchel wrote:How about Dan Donnelly? He was Heavyweight Champ of Ireland and his right arm is still doing the rounds in exhibitions.
Ketchell, BINGO, it is the right hand of Dan Donnelly , the first Irish Heavyweight champion...He had a right hand for the AGES...
In 1815 Donnelly kod George Cooper of England and became Ireland's first HW champion. But he died 5 years later, and his body was stolen from his grave, brought to a surgeon and his great right hand was amputated in 1820. It was displayed in a pub in Dublin for many years, and in 2007 , it was brought to America where it was shown at the South Street Seaport Museum in NY. My buddy saw Dan Donnelly's mummified right hand at the Museum almost TWO HUNDRED years after his last fight.
Truly the most amazing right hand in history, methinks...
I saw the arm last year at a folk museum in Northern Irelandat as part of an exhibition of Irish boxing history. The exhibtion had articles of interest from boxers born in Ireland and boxers of Irish descent. The exhibition started off in New York and has travelled around the world. Cracking exhibition it is too.
Some more trivia on Dan Donnelly is the fact that after he beat Cooper as he walked from the ring the fans dug out his footprints. Even today the footprints can be seen walking away from a monument built at the location of the ring. Google "Donnelly's Hollow" to see the image.
WOW K, seeing those footsteps at "Donnelly's Hollow" is like a moment frozen in time...Amazing !