Lady Luck and the Fighting Irish

The Republic of Ireland and boxing are intrinsically intertwined, with Irish boxers being regarded as some of the most talented in the world. Boxing is one the oldest and most celebrated sports and it is obvious why. It puts two individuals opposite one another in a ring and is the ultimate test of both physical and mental strength. Irish pugilists have a long reputation as being among the most difficult opponents in the sport, proven by the numerous world champions over the years. From Barry McGuigan in the 1980s to the current two-weight world champion Katie Taylor, Ireland has a rich history and culture within the sport. 

The Origin Story

There is a severe affinity for the sport of boxing on the island of Ireland, so much so that it is as if it coarses through their veins. Irish fighters have always seemed to posses a natural talent for boxing and it began as far back as the 1800s with the great Irish-American fighter Jack Duffy, who was the first world welterweight champion of boxing’s gloved era. Duffy was later followed by another American fighter of Irish ancestry, Jack Dempsey, who reigned as world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. It was fighters such as this that popularised the sport in Ireland and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association formed in 1911, becoming the only the amateur boxing association to run and own its own stadium, the National Boxing Stadium, in 1939. Ireland made steady progress from this point onwards, picking up a number of Olympic medals before cementing their place as one the top competitors at Olympic level when Michael Carruth won Gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. 

There have been plenty of successes since this at both an amateur and professional level, with many fighter reaching the pinnacle of the sport on multiple occasions. In modern times, the most successful is the incredible Katie Taylor, with many claiming that she is the greatest female boxer of all time. Year on year, this claim is becoming harder and harder to disagree with. She enjoyed an abundance of success at amateur level, winning an Olympic Gold medal at the 2012 Games, five World Championships, five European Union Championships and Six European Championships. Since turning professional in 2016, Taylor has won fifteen out of fifteen fights and is a two-weight world champion.

Something in the Water

As well as boxing being engrained in the Irish culture, so too are other sports such as football and horseracing. In fact, one could say that the love of Sport is something that unites most Irish people, especially on the night of a big match, huddled together in a pub, drinking beer, and cheering their favourite team on. And with the excitement of watching a match or a game, often comes along, the excitement of a good bet, often done in jest with the rest of the lads; sometimes it’s a matter of who’s getting a round of drinks next, or sometimes even, who’s up for a dare. Often though it results in a bit of cash that one can flaunt with the lads, if not one ends up so lucky as to acquire himself a pot of gold. 

And that leads us to the next big thing on the Emerald Isle pre-dating the arrival of both the Romans and Christianity, the excitement of betting and gambling. Irish sports fans are world famous and travel far and wide to cheer their fellow countrymen on, so much so that they’re also ready to bet on them, partially because of this great love for sport, but also due to gambling being somewhat ingrained in the Irish culture as well. Whether it is boxing, football, horse racing or online casinos, betting culture within Ireland is something that continues to thrive, as the Irish people like to try their luck, and who knows, maybe they are quite lucky. Once the history of both boxing and betting are explored, it is easy to see why luck and fighting are two of the main words that are associated with the Irish.