Dan Donnelly - Dublin Boxing Legend

Dan Donnelly - Dublin Boxing Legend

From The Rocky Road by News Ireland

April 23, 2026 · 45 min · Season 7 · Episode 16

About this episode

Terry O’Neill discusses the legacy of Dan Donnelly and the current state of Dublin boxing.

Dublin actor, comedian and former international boxer  Terry O’Neill  joins us to talk about the upcoming show at the National Stadium,  ‘In The Ring With Dan Donnelly & Dublin’s Boxing Legends’ , taking place on  May 9 . Terry, who will perform a portion of his hit one-man show  Rope-A-Dope  on the night, will be joined by heavyweights of Irish culture including  Brian Kerr ,  Damien Dempsey  and Elite champion  Kellie McLoughlin . Though he had just three organized bouts,  Dan Donnelly’s  name remains legendary more than 200 years after his death. Terry explains how Donnelly’s 19th-century clashes with Englishmen Tom Hall and George Cooper on the Curragh were the "Louis-Schmeling" of their day - symbols of the oppressed rising against the oppressor. We dive into the life of this hard-drinking man of the people and the macabre saga of his stolen arm, which became a literal ‘Irish Shroud of Turin’. We also trace the lineage of Dublin boxing royalty, from  Frankie Kerr  to  Kenneth Egan , and  Steve Collins  to  Kellie Harrington . Plus, we run the rule over today’s stars: from&nbsp…

People in this episode

Guest: Terry O’Neill

Topics covered

  • boxing
  • Irish culture
  • Dublin legends
  • sports history
  • current boxing stars

Keywords

  • Dan Donnelly
  • Terry O’Neill
  • boxing legends
  • Irish culture
  • Dublin boxing
  • current fighters
  • Katie Taylor

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Dublin, National Stadium

More episodes of The Rocky Road

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Rocky Road podcast page.