A New Home for Dan Donnelly’s Replica Arm at Fallon’s Pub
There was song, storytelling and a very unusual handover at Fallon’s Pub on Monday 19 October, as we gathered to present a replica of Dan Donnelly’s famous arm to the pub where the legendary boxer was once proprietor.
Patrick Myler and Grace McEvoy hand over the arm to Fallon's
The replica began its journey earlier this year, when we commissioned artist Alan Clarke to create it as a storytelling piece for In the Ring with Dan Donnelly and Dublin’s Boxing Heroes at the National Stadium, part of Culture Date with Dublin 8’s 2026 festival.
Hosted by historian Donal Fallon, the event brought music, poetry, storytelling and conversation into the boxing ring itself. With contributions from Damien Dempsey, Brian Kerr, Barry McGovern, Terry O’Neill, Emmet O’Brien and Donnelly’s biographer Patrick Myler, the evening explored the connections between boxing, culture and identity, celebrating Donnelly’s legacy alongside Dublin’s wider boxing heritage.
The replica arm helped bring one of the most unusual chapters of his story to life. Once the evening was over, we felt it deserved a home where that story could keep being told.
And where better than Fallon’s, where Donnelly himself was once proprietor?
Donal Fallon shares about the social and cultural history of Fallon's Pub
The man behind the legend
Born on Townsend Street, Dan Donnelly rose to fame as a bare-knuckle boxer in the early nineteenth century, becoming one of Ireland’s earliest sporting celebrities. His celebrated victory over English fighter George Cooper at the Curragh in 1815 drew a huge crowd, and the site became known as Donnelly’s Hollow. Stories and ballads helped carry his name through the generations.
Donnelly’s significance reached far beyond sport. At a time when Ireland was under British rule, his victories over English opponents became a source of national pride and a symbolic expression of resistance to colonial power. In the popular imagination, his fights echoed Ireland’s own struggle for freedom, turning the Dublin boxer into a folk hero whose story has endured for generations.
Seen in that light, the replica arm represents more than an unusual chapter in boxing history. It evokes the strength, defiance and fighting spirit that made Donnelly a champion for people far beyond the ring.
Donnelly also became a publican, running several Dublin establishments during his lifetime. The premises now known as Fallon’s is the only one of those pubs still operating today, making it a particularly fitting place to continue telling his story.
His extraordinary afterlife became part of the legend too. Following his death in 1820 and burial at Bully’s Acre in Kilmainham, his body was taken by grave robbers. Accounts differ about exactly how his right arm came to be removed and preserved, but the arm associated with Donnelly went on to become a curiosity in its own right, including a long spell on display at the Hideout pub in Kilcullen.
Our replica offers a new way to share that remarkable story, connecting a festival performance with the living history of a Dublin pub.
Patrick Myler shares about the history and legends of Dan's mummified arm
A night of stories, song and a special handover
At Fallon’s, the storytelling continued in suitably spirited fashion. Michael Steen opened with The Ballad of Dan Donnelly, bringing the boxer’s legend into the room through song, before Donal Fallon explored the history of the Dublin pub and Fallon’s place within the city’s social and cultural life.
Michael Steen sings The Ballad of Dan Donnelly
From the history of the building, we turned to the extraordinary travels of the arm itself, as Donnelly’s biographer Patrick Myler shared the story of its preservation and journey through the years. Ger Devine widened the lens with tales of the Great Liberties Whiskey Fire and a song of his own, while the lads behind the bar added a few tunes to the evening.
Ger Devine sings about The Great Liberties Whiskey Fire
Keeping it all flowing was our MC, artist Alan Clarke, whose creation had brought us together in the first place. The evening culminated in the handover, with Grace McEvoy of Culture Date with Dublin 8 and Patrick Myler presenting the replica to the team at Fallon’s, giving a piece of our festival story a lasting home.
Artist Alan Clarke
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed, came along and helped make it such an enjoyable evening, and to the team at Fallon’s for welcoming us.
Next time you’re in Fallon’s, don’t forget to look out for Dan Donnelly’s replica arm. There’s quite a story behind it!
Photo Credits: Aarif Amod (@reefosnaps)
