Boxing legend’s story for Film Fleadh premiere

A Fighting Heart, (Croí Trodach) the epic story of Johnny Kilbane the longest reigning World Featherweight Champion of all time, will have its European premiere at the Galway Film Fleadh.

The film, directed by Galway based filmmaker Des Kilbane, will be screened on July 13 and 14.

 A Fighting Heart (Croí Trodach) is a rags-to-riches story that begins on Achill Island, from where Johnny Kilbane’s ancestors originated. It finishes in Cleveland Ohio, where Johnny both entertained and served his community until his untimely death in 1957.

A Fighting Heart had its world premiere at the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival in April, where it sold out seven screenings over three nights. The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper described it as “…an enchanting film”, adding“you will love Johnny Kilbane’s story even if you do not love boxing films”.

Its director, Des Kilbane, who is originally from Achill, is a distant relation of Johnny and had been intrigued by the boxer’s story for many years.

“In the late 1980s I picked up a copy of The Book of Lists, where celebrities pick their favourites in their chosen fields. Mike Tyson was the world champ at the time and he picked Johnny at number seven, which really amazed me. So the idea was always there but it wasn’t until I found a website on Johnny created by his great-grandson, Kevin OToole that it came to fruition.”

The film was commissioned by TG4 and was part funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

In A Fighting Heart Des recounts the boxer’s tough early life growing up in The Angle on Cleveland’s Westside, the rough side of town, his love of vaudeville, his chance discovery as a boxer and his elevation to World Boxing Champion in 1912.  The film goes on to trace Johnny’s role in the US Army during the First World War and his impressive boxing career of 142 fights before finally losing the crown to a French opponent in 1923.

Des was fortunate in that he managed to source rare archive footage of some of Johnny’s fights, particularly his World Title fight against Abe Attell, when he deposed the reigning champion.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.