The Donegal man who discovered Jack Dempsey

Jack Dempsey reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 and was involved in boxing’s first million-dollar gate.

Dempsey, who was the world's first undisputed heavyweight champion, bowed out with his record card showing 68-6-11, 53KOs and his standing is such that he is ranked tenth on the list of all-time heavyweights by The Ring magazine.

The man credited with discovering the legendary Dempsey is buried in a modest, rural Donegal graveyard.

Con Gallagher, from Doonan, just outside Donegal Town, died in April 1934.

He is buried at Drimarone cemetery. The simple headstone is like many others from his era and there is nothing chiseled to explain his prowess in the world of boxing.

Con Gallagher's grave in Drimarone

The week after his death, following a brief illness, the Donegal Democrat published an obituary.

Gallagher was, the newspaper said, a ‘farmer on a rather extensive scale’.

He had ‘attained a high degree of popularity and respect as a result of the part he played in the life and the community.’

Gallagher was a member of the Donegal Old Age Pension Sub-Committee.

It was apparent, though, that Gallagher’s greatest claim was his association with one of the world’s leading lights.

“The late Mr Gallagher has been for a considerable period in America, where he was a personal friend of Jack Dempsey, the one time world’s champion,’ the Democrat said.

“Mr Gallagher took a leading part in promoting boxing tournaments in Donegal and other towns.

“He was frequently described as ‘the man who discovered Jack Dempsey’, the description having emanated from the fact that, when resident in the United States, he was prominently identified with the noble art, which brought him into such close contact with the ex-heavyweight champion of the world.”

Gallagher’s funeral drew large crowds to St Patrick’s Church and to the cemetery.

The paper said: “Four Blueshirts bore the coffin from St Patrick’s Church to Drimarone Cemetery, while in the immediate rear marched 30 Blueshirts, coatless and wearing their blue shirts.”

Among those present was Mr Michael Óg McFadden TD, while Rev H O’Gara, PP, Killymard, officiated at the graveside.

Gallagher promoted shows in America and put on the November 2, 1914 show at the Garrick Theatre in Salt Lake City at which Dempsey made his debut, with a KO win over Young Hancock.

Jack Dempsey puts Gene Tunney to the canvas

Newspaper reports said that Gallagher had “a great influence” on Dempsey and he “assisted him in every other possible way”.

Gallagher clearly knew he had a special talent in Dempsey, who was 22-1-5, 17KOs when Gallagher converted the hip and trendy Trocadero Hall in Murray, Utah into a sold-out boxing arena in September 1916.

Dempsey stopped Young Hector in the third round Dempsey had grown up of Irish and Cherokee ancestry. The times were frugal and Dempsey left home at the age of 16.

Money was scarce and he often slept in hobo camps. He made money when he challenged for fights in saloons.

“I can't sing and I can't dance, but I can lick any SOB in the house,” Dempsey would say.

Rarely was he beaten.

In July 1919, Dempsey knocked reigning world champion Jess Willard down seven times in the first round in Toledo, Ohio.

He successfully defended the title against Billy Miske in Michigan in September 1920 and Bill Brennan at Madison Square Garden in December 1920.

A staggering 91,000 paying customers watched Dempsey fight Georges Carpentier from France in Jersey City on July 2, 1921.

Boyle’s Thirty Acres, a large wooden bowl, was constructed especially for the fight, which was promoted by Tex Rickard.

It generated the first ever million-dollar gate in boxing history and Dempsey won with a fourth round stoppage.

Some 85,000 watched at the Polo Grounds in New York, with an estimated 20,000 outside, as Dempsey KO’d Firpo in the second round. However, Dempsey did not have it all his own way and at one stage he was flood by Firpo and landed on the typewriter of a ringside reporter.

In September 1926, Dempsey fought Gene Tunney and lost on points after ten rounds in Philadelphia.

Almost exactly a year later, Dempsey and Tunney went at it again. This time, boxing had a $2million-dollar gate at Soldiers Field in Chicago.

There was controversy abounding and there were even suggestions that Al Capone had offered to fix the fight.

Dempsey put Tunney down in the seventh round and landed several further blows. Dempsey did not go immediately to a neutral corner - as a new rule stated - and was escorted there by the referee, Dave Barry.

Tunney survived the subsequent count from Barry, even though ringside clocks, including that of the official timekeeper, showed that he was on the canvas for 14 seconds.

Subsequently, Tunney put Dempsey down and the timekeeper started the count immediately, without waiting for Tunney to move to a neutral corner.

The rule had been brought in during the pre-fight negotiations by Dempsey’s team. The fight remains known as ‘The Long Count Fight’ and it ended in defeat for Dempsey in his final bout as professional as Tunney took the win on points.

Tunney, as it happens, was also a familiar figure in Donegal. Indeed, he was regular visitor. He had a particular grá for the Rosguill peninsula and spent some of his summers in Carrigart

By then, Gallagher was a peripheral figure in Dempsey’s career, though he remained friends with the heavyweight puncher.

Soon, Gallagher relocated back to Donegal and he promoted several boxing shows in his home county.

Gallagher’s influence on the development of boxing in Donegal is notable for the tournaments he promoted, even if his involvement with one of the greatest heavyweights of all time is, sadly, unheralded.

* This article is an extract from Boxing In Donegal: A History, a 2021 book by Chris McNulty