Fighting Irishmen Thursday Night

Celebrate the Celtic Warrior on October 19 in NYC

The Irish Arts Center and Jim Houlihan, curator of Fighting Irishmen: A Celebration of the Celtic Warrior, will present “Writers & Fighters,” a symposium featuring ESPN’s Jeremy Schapp, the author of Cinderella Man, boxing Hall of Famer Bill Gallo, the Daily News esteemed columnist and cartoonist; Nat Fleischer Award recipient and longtime Boston Herald columnist George Kimball, now writing for The Sweet Science; the Irish Echo’s fine boxing writer and sports columnist Jay Mwamba and Jay Tunney, son of former boxing champion Gene Tunney, on Thursday night, October 19, at the Irish Arts Center at 7:00 PM.

Fighting Irishmen: A Celebration of the Celtic Warrior is an eclectic collection of boxing photography, ephemera and artifacts. The Irish Arts Center has promoted Irish culture since its inception in 1972. The exhibit is a stroll down memory lane for fight fans and historians alike. Among the items on display are Dan Donnelly‘s famous mummified arm; the legendary John L. Sullivan‘s fur coat; a blazer specially made for Jack Dempsey; photographs from the archives of Sports Illustrated and from the lens of longtime Madison Square photographer George Kalinsky; Charlie Nash‘s Olympic Jersey when he was fighting for Ireland; photographs of the classic Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti trilogy; and historic photos of such memorable Irish fighters as John L. Sullivan, Jerry Quarry, Gerry Cooney, Barry McGuigan and “Irish” Bobby Cassidy, just to name a few.

The public is invited to the symposium and to visit the exhibit which runs through November 30. For tickets please call Smarttix at 212 868-4444, or log onto www.smarttix.com, please reference Fighting Irishmen. For more information call 212-757-3318, ext. 203, ask for Bridin.

Tickets are priced at $35. The Irish Arts Center is located at 553 West 51st Street in New York City. The five panelists will engage in a lively discussion and examination of the role of Irish fighters and themes in print, media, theatre and film. A reception will follow.