Edwin McGreal
FRANK MORAN, a man with strong Mayo connections, is one of the many well-known boxers honoured in the ‘Fighting Irishmen’ exhibition which comes to Croke Park, Dublin today (Tuesday).
Moran was one of the ‘Great White Hopes’ of heavyweight boxing in the 1910s and twice fought for the Heavyweight Championship of the World, losing one of them to a controversial decision against the great Jack Johnson.
Whilst Moran was born in America, he was a first generation Irish-American with his father Martin J Moran hailing from Islandtaggart, Carrowholly, Westport, an island in Clew Bay. The island is currently owned by Tommy Keane from Drimulra, Newport, a cousin of Moran’s.
Martin J Moran and his wife Mary left for the US in the early 1870s, emigrating to Cleveland. Frank Moran was born on March 18, 1887 and shortly after the family moved to settle in Pittsburgh.
Frank Moran’s cousins Patrick, Martin and Katie Moran lived on Islandtaggart and would pay host to the famous boxer on his visits to the home of his father.
Frank Moran enlisted in the US Navy before returning to Pittsburgh where he went to study dentistry - eventually earning him the boxing nickname of ‘the Pittsburgh Dentist’.
Having taking up boxing whilst in the Navy, he chose the ‘sweet science’ over his studies. In a colourful biography of his ancestor, Robert G Byrnes writes: ‘Frank decided he could earn more money knocking teeth out than he would pulling them out, so he traded his library card and forceps for a gym membership and five ounce gloves and joined the ranks of the ‘Great White Hopes’.
From 1908 to 1922, Moran fought in approximately 69 professional fights with 39 wins (31 by way of knockout), 16 losses and 14 no decisions.
His progression was so pronounced that he earned a shot at the famed Jack Johnson in Paris on June 27, 1914 for the world title. The marathon twenty round fight went the full distance and, while many commentators felt Moran had done enough to win the title, the French referee gave the decision to Johnson. Moran recalled how Johnson congratulated him afterwards by saying ‘Moran, no one in the world could have knocked you out tonight’.
To continue Moran’s bad luck, the $25,000 payment he was due for the fight, was never paid, thanks in no small part to the start of World War I, triggered the day after the fight by the assassination of Austro-Hungarian heir apparent Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
In 1916 Moran would fight Jess ‘The Pottawattomie Giant’ Willard for the title Willard had taken from Johnson. The fight would be a ten round/no decision fight which meant the title would only change hands if Moran knocked him out. However the fight went the distance, meaning Willard kept the title.
Moran would go onto compete as a professional until 1922 before going on to forge arguably as successful a career in acting.
Moran played various roles in leading films of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He worked with such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Ginger Rogers, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
Moran died in Hollywood, California, in 1967, aged 80.
The Fighting Irishmen exhibition will be launched at the Croke Park Museum at 7.30pm tonight (Tuesday) by Barry McGuigan. American Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, another proud son of Pittsburgh, will also be in attendance.
Want to read more
To see Robert G Byrnes’ biography on Frank Moran, just click here
