The mummified right arm of the 19th century fighter travelled to the US last week to take part in an Irish boxing exhibition in New York. The arm, which measures three feet in length, is the centrepiece attraction of an exhibition at the city's Irish Arts Centre.

It is the first time Donnelly's arm has left Ireland since the Dublin-born fighter defeated Tom Oliver, then boxing champion of England, shortly before his death in 1820.

The arm was escorted to New York by Josephine Byrne, former owner of The Hideout pub in Kilcullen, Co Kildare, where the limb was on display for many years.

The exhibition in New York runs until November, after which Donnelly's arm will return to Ireland.

The arm became detached from its owner shortly after his death in 1820, when medical students dug up the fighter's remains to study his muscle structure. The theft of Donnelly's body caused riots in Dublin, where his pugilistic exploits had made him a legend.

Donnelly, born in Townsend Street, began his fighting career on the streets of Dublin and eventually came to be regarded as the Champion of Ireland. He began to train near Kilcullen and regularly fought in the Curragh, where there was a natural amphitheatre which was used to stage fights.

In September 1814, Donnelly caused a huge upset by defeating English boxer Tom Hall in a brutal fight that lasted 15 rounds. Word of the Irish boxer's skill spread and a fight was arranged for December 1814 against English champion fighter George Cooper. A reported crowd of 20,000 turned up at Belcher's Hollow at the Curragh to witness Donnelly defeat his English counterpart in a gruelling 22-minute fight. Ever since that famous fight, Belcher's Hollow has been known as Donnelly's Hollow.

By that stage a national hero, Donnelly moved into the pub business but proved too fond of the drink himself.

Financial problems soon forced a return to the boxing scene. He went on tour in England and succeeded in beating George Cooper's successor as champion of England, Tom Oliver.

Donnelly died suddenly in Dublin in 1820 at the age of just 32, his funeral attracting a huge crowd onto the streets of the capital. Despite his popularity, he was buried in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, and there is no memorial there today to mark his grave.

His arm ended up in the hands of Josephine Byrne, former proprietor of The Hideout pub in Kilcullen, where it remained as a major tourist attraction until Byrne's retirement a decade ago.