On this Day… 4 August

By Ian Brophy

On this day, 4 August, 1818, Thomas Molineaux, a black African-American bare-knuckle boxer and ex-slave, died in the Band Hall in the Shambles Barracks in Galway City.
Molineaux was born into slavery in the state of Virginia in the USA in 1784, before securing his freedom by winning a fight against a fellow slave from a rival plantation. His talents eventually took him across the Atlantic in 1810 where he challenged the English champion, Tom Cribb,  in what was considered the first ever World title fight. After a controversial loss to Cribb the two fought again in 1811 with the same result. Molineaux went on to tour Scotland and Ireland, where he fought off challengers, gave public displays of his skill and taught the ‘sweet science of bruising’.

However, a fondness for alcohol, father time and suspected tuberculosis saw his talents wane; and in 1818 he was found sick and destitute on the streets of Galway.
Yet just 34 years of age, he was given shelter in the band room of the Shambles Barracks in Galway by 3 drummers from the 77th (East Middlesex) Regiment.
On 4 August Molineaux passed away, and the regiment buried him in St. James Cemetery in Mervue; promising to erect a headstone on his final resting place.
In the summer of 2018, to mark the 200th anniversary of his death, Galway City Museum opened an exhibition entitled ‘Tom Molineaux – the slave who fought his way to freedom’. The Museum, along with Galway Civic Trust, also unveiled a plaque at the site where he died in Galway City.

It took a considerable time to fulfill that promise of a headstone. After 200 years, in December 2019, the final resting place of Tom Molineaux was commemorated with a headstone, unveiled by the other World Boxing Champion, Katie Taylor.

On this day, 4 August, 1818, Thomas Molineaux, a black African- American bare-knuckle boxer and ex-slave, died in the Band Hall in the Shambles Barracks in Galway city.
On Saturday, 23 August, as part of the Peadar O’ Dowd Memorial Day, a film screening of ‘Ag Trasnu an Atlantaigh Dhuibh / Crossing the Black Atlantic’ will be shown in the Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane, Galway. This film tells the powerful story of Tom Molineaux. Check Galway Civic Trust / Duchas na Gaillimhe for more details and booking link.
This film forms part of a special day-long programme of heritage events presented by Galway Civic Trust / Duchas na Gaillimhe in honour of the late Peadar O’ Dowd.