DONNELLY, DAN CABINET CARD

Dan Donnelly (March 1788 – 18 February 1820) was a professional boxing pioneer and the first Irish-born heavyweight champion. He was posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Pioneers Category in 2008. During the period between the 1798 Rebellion, the Act of Union, and O'Connell's political campaign, there was Dan Donnelly. He gave the Irish a sense of pride and self-respect at a time when it was badly needed. Boxing is democratic. In hurling, soccer, Gaelic football, or rugby, there are 11–15 members on a team. The boxer is on his own in the ring. There's no one there to back him up. Even on the tough streets of Dublin, Dan Donnelly had a reputation of being a hard man to provoke, a man who would go to great lengths to avoid settling an argument in the traditional manner. But when the need arose—usually when the old, feeble, or female were mistreated—Donnelly was known to be handy with his fists, and he became the district's new fighting hero. He was a tall, strapping man. He was nearly six feet (1.83 m) tall and weighed almost 14 stone (196 lbs, 89 kg). He was a courageous man. His strongest trait, however, was his outgoing, sociable personality. He was fond of the company of others and this was reciprocated. News of Dan's fighting exploits with Dublin's feuding gangs spread swiftly. He gained a reputation for keeping the city's crooks in check. When prize fights were first introduced, it was the Fancy who tended to the boxers. The Fancy were aristocrats who followed the sport in the 18th and 19th centuries. They organized the training, the matches, and the finance. Donnelly's first big fight under his new patronage, Captain Kelly, was staged at the Curragh in County Kildare on 14 September 1814. The spot was known at the time as Belcher's Hollow, a natural amphitheater that was regularly used for big prize fights. The opponent was a prominent English fighter, Tom Hall, who was touring Ireland, giving sparring exhibitions and boxing instruction. For a few rounds, Hall was showing his skill was paramount. He scored first blood, which was an important occasion in bare-fist boxing; there were bets made on who would draw first blood. But as the rounds went on, Donnelly's strength began to tell. Hall would slip down onto his knee, without being in any danger. This was a tactic, because once he went down the round was over, he got a 30-second rest, and came back refreshed. He was doing this just a bit too often for Donnelly's liking, and at one stage, Donnelly was just about to lash out when he was down, and his second shouted out an admonishment that Dan would lose the fight if he did so. Eventually he did lose his temper, and as Hall slipped down yet again, Donnelly lashed out and hit him on the ear; the blood flowed. That was the end of the round. Hall refused to continue, saying he had been fouled, that Donnelly should be disqualified. Donnelly fans voiced that no, Dan had definitely won, Hall didn't want to fight on, Donnelly was the champion. The fight ended in some controversy, but to the Irish, he was the conquering hero. Belcher's Hollow was rechristened Donnelly's Hollow and Dan Donnelly was now acclaimed as Ireland's Champion. Offered here is a very rare cabinet card of Dan Donnelly.
This is an original John Wood cabinet card, circa 1880's of Dan Donnelly. Name (misspelled) is written at lower mount. Image is bold and clear. Not creased. Tack hole at top center, outside of image. Minor spotting. Minor edge and corner wear. 4 1/4" x 6 1/2."