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In 1972, Killorglin-born circus strongman and London publican Michael "Butty" Sugrue put up £300,000 and persuaded the renowned American boxing champion Muhammad Ali to make his first visit to Ireland to fight against ex-convict Alvin Lewis in Croke Park, Dublin.
Ali went to Ireland with an entourage on 11 July 1972 to spend time training for the fight on the 19th. While there, he was interviewed for RTÉ Television by Cathal O'Shannon and was taught the rudiments of hurling by Kilkenny's Eddie Keher. He revealed to the media that, apart from winning the fight, his main ambition in Ireland was to meet the Northern Irish member of parliament, Bernadette Devlin, whom he admired. He wanted to talk about her politics, philosophy, and aims in public life. Devlin visited Ali's camp and had dinner with him. He also met the Irish Taoiseach, the first national leader who had formally met him .
Ali won the Lewis fight, attended by over 18,000 people, with a technical knockout in the 11th round.
No matter where he fetched up, wonderful chaos ensued. Traffic stopped. Crowds gathered. The greatest show on earth had come to town for one remarkable week. Through interviews with dozens of those whom Ali met and worked alongside over the course of those seven unforgettable days, Dave Hannigan has pieced together an enthralling narrative of one of the most unique events in Irish sporting history.
