![]() ![]() The following year, she won the lightweight title. In 1996, she helped put female boxing on the map during a title fight with Christy Martin in Las Vegas. Landing in Louisiana, she joined the Ragin’ Cajun Gym – where she is still a coach today. But she had to leave the country every time she had a fight so she decided to emigrate. Gogarty was eventually allowed into her local boxing club. But, at the time, Irish boxing authorities wouldn’t even allow bouts between women. While many people have heard Gogarty’s name, the fact that she had to leave Ireland to pursue her career might come as a surprise.Īfter seeing Barry McGuigan win the world title in 1985, Gogarty knew she wanted to be a boxer. “She paved the way for Katie Taylor and countless other Irish female boxers,” she says. Her story is a favourite of Aileesh Carew – EPIC’s Director of Sales and Marketing. She even managed to earn the title before female boxing was officially sanctioned here. ![]() Deirdre Gogartyĭeirdre Gogarty from Drogheda was Ireland’s first female world champion boxer. According to the Coney Island History Project, he built a water park which featured sea lions and rides like the Shoot-the-Chutes and the Flip-Flap looping coaster. In 1894, the now famous Boyton settled in New York. But his longest trip was a 3,580 mile journey down the Mississippi.īoyton’s adventures attracted worldwide press coverage and helped to popularise the survival suits that are still worn by fishermen and submarine crews today. Armed with provisions and an axe to ward off sharks, he swam across the English Channel and the Straits of Gibraltar. He pulled off all sorts of daredevil performances in his buoyant rubber suit. As a teenager, he served the Union Navy and later became a lifeguard in Atlantic City. īoyton, who was a famine-era emigrant from Rathangan, County Kildare, crossed the Atlantic as a boy. His story is a favourite of EPIC’s Senior Curator, Nathan Mannion, who managed to confirm Boyton’s Irish ancestry with the help of the Irish Family History Centre. He did it to promote the use of life-saving vulcanised rubber suits. But he didn’t do it for the thrill or the money. In the 1880s, Paul Boyton – aka the ‘Fearless Frogman’ – became known across the world for his daredevil stunts. Captain Paul BoytonĬaptain Paul Boyton, Swam the Straits of Gibraltar, from World’s Champions, Series 2 (N29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes ![]() But she received a pension from the Russian government and stayed in touch with the girls until the family’s execution in 1918. In 1904, not long after the birth of Anastasia, Eagar was suddenly let go. But, when they began to develop a Limerick accent, the Tsar hired a professional English tutor. Petersburg, where would look after Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia over the next six years. But, at the age of 36, she arrived at the Winter Palace in St. On top of that, she was skilled at cooking, cleaning and sewing.Īt first, Eagar was unsure about the job offer. She also had experience caring for nine siblings – seven of which were girls. She had trained as a nurse in Belfast before taking the role of matron at a girl’s orphanage. Her story is a favourite of EPIC’s Head of Communications Darragh Doyle.Ī close friend of Tsarina Alexandra recommended Eagar for the role, describing her as straightforward, unsophisticated and with no interest in the court – all of which were seen as positive traits. In 1898, Margaret ‘Margaretta’ Eagar from Limerick emigrated to Russia to be a nanny for Tsar Nicholas II. Here are some of the quirky, curious and surprising emigrant stories that we’ve come across: 1. For the past 5 years, we have been on a mission to record and share the history of the thousands of emigrants who have left Ireland.Īlong the way, the team has uncovered little-known facts, surprising connections and the stories of long-forgotten men and women. ![]()
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