Dan Donnelly
Born March 1788 in Dublin, Ireland, Dan Donnelly would become the first Irish-born heavyweight champion. Donnelly's first recorded bout was a September 14, 1814 contest with Tom Hall. Nearly 20,000 spectators saw Donnelly meet Hall at the Curragh of Kildare for a purse of 100 sovereigns. The fight lasted 16 rounds, occupying 20 minutes, at the end of which Hall retired from the ring, claiming he had been fouled (hit while being down) several times. Irish newspapers reported this bout as a win for Donnelly, while the English press considered it as a loss for Donnelly. Dublin's newspaper Saunders's News-Letter, and Daily Advertiser on September 17 reported that the final decision was left to the members of the Turf Club, and they declared the bout drawn and the purse was divided equally between the two combatants.
On November 13, 1815 (secondary sources incorrectly give the date as December 13), at the same venue, he defeated English pugilist George Cooper in 11 intense rounds. Donnelly then ventured on a successful tour of England. In 1819 he drew with Jack Carter before stopping Tom Oliver over 34 rounds. It is said that over $500,000 was wagered on the contest. He returned to Ireland for a series of exhibition bouts with George Cooper and Bob Gregson.
One of the most revered athletes in Ireland, Donnelly was allegedly knighted by Prince Regent (most probably untrue) and is celebrated in both song and story. When Donnelly died on February 18, 1820, at the age of 32, nearly 70,000 admirers reportedly witnessed his funeral procession through Dublin. He was buried at Bully's Acre, Kilmainham, Dublin, only to have gravediggers steal his body and sell it to a Dublin surgeon (the reports about this were conflicting, it is uncertain whether this actually happened). The surgeon removed his right arm to study the muscle structure and then re-buried the remains. The famous pugilist's mummified arm has since been on display in pubs throughout Ireland. (IBHOF website)