Jem Roche

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Jem Roche
Memorial plaque, Wexford
Born5 September 1878
Ballinclay, County Wexford, Ireland
Died28 November 1934 (age 56)
Wexford, Irish Free State
NationalityIrish
Other namesJem, the Bull
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 7+1⁄3 in (171 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record[1]
Total fights24
Wins18
Wins by KO10
Losses6

James "Jem" Roche (/dʒɛm ˈroʊtʃ/; 5 September 1878 – 28 November 1934) was an Irish boxer and Gaelic football coach.[2][3][4]

Early life

Roche was born in Ballinclay near to

Killurin, County Wexford in 1878. The family later moved to Wexford town, and Jem attended Wexford CBS and worked for a time as a blacksmith
at Carton's forge in Ballycarney.

Sporting career

Boxing

His first amateur fight took place in 1894 in the Town Hall (now Wexford Arts Centre). Roche, aged 16, knocked out his opponent, a soldier named Billy Murphy. The referee, Nicholas T. Tennant, later became Roche's coach.

In 1900, aged 22, he won his first national title when he knocked out Jack Fitzpatrick in the Antient Concert Rooms (later the Academy Cinema on

Pearse Street, Dublin) to become Irish middleweight champion. He retained that title for five years before losing to Young John L. Sullivan in 1905 in the Earlsfort Terrace Rink, Dublin. Roche defeated Sullivan in 1905 and retained the title in 1906 and 1907.[5]

In October 1907 Roche scored a major victory, knocking out Charlie Wilson (former

St. Patrick's Day 1908, Roche fought Tommy Burns for the world heavyweight title at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, with a purse of £1,500 (split 80:20).[6] He was knocked out after 88 seconds. This is sometimes described as the shortest world heavyweight fight at the time, but Burns had beaten Bill Squires in the same time the previous July, and James J. Jeffries had won a 1900 title fight in 55 seconds.[7][8]

Roche lost his Irish heavyweight title in 1910 to Matthew 'Nutty' Curran; he regained the title in 1913 when he again beat John L. Sullivan. He retired from boxing in that year.

Gaelic football

Roche played for the Young Irelands club, based in

Wexford senior football team and they went on win six consecutive Leinster Senior Football Championships (1913–18) and four consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championships (1915–18).[9][10]

Personal life

Roche married Bridget Furlong in 1908 and they lived in Wexford and had five children: their sons Pierce and Seamus also had careers in boxing.

Roche worked as a publican, bookmaker and commission agent's manager; he died in 1934, aged fifty-six.

His grandson Dick Roche (born 1947) became a TD and cabinet minister.[11] His grandson Billy Roche (born 1949) is a playwright.[12][13][14]

A plaque in his memory was erected in Wexford's "Bull Ring" in 1961.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Boxing record for Jem Roche". BoxRec.
  2. ^ "IL-00352 Jem Roche ( Wexford ) Boxing Champion of Ireland. old photograph – The Historical Picture Archive". www.historicalpicturearchive.com.
  3. ^ "Cyber Boxing Zone -- Jem Roche". www.cyberboxingzone.com.
  4. ISBN 9780750991636
    – via Google Books.
  5. ISBN 9780851052809
    – via Google Books.
  6. ISBN 9780750965842
    – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Shortest Heavyweight Title Fights". Boxing News 24 Forum.
  8. ^ "Hold the backpage". The Irish Times.
  9. ^ "Wexford footballers have had a few Jems down the years". The Irish Times.
  10. ^ "Kerry are hoping to experience the joy of six". The Irish Times.
  11. ^ "Famous Wexford People in History". www.facebook.com.
  12. ISBN 9780952577126
    – via Google Books.
  13. ^ Doody, Derry J. F. "Jem Roche: Wexford". www.scoreboardmemories.com.
  14. ^ Wallace, Arminta. "A year to remember". The Irish Times.
  15. ISBN 9780750984843
    – via Google Books.
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