The ballad describes the meeting of the Irish boxer, Donnelly, and his English opponent, Cooper.
After Cooper scores what appears to be a winning blow, the sister of Donnelly's trainer exhorts him to get up, informing him that she has bet her entire estate on his victory.
[2] The contest depicted in the song took place on 13 December 1815, at the Curragh of Kildare in Ireland.
In honour of his victory, the location of the bout was renamed Donnelly's Hollow, and a commemorative monument was later erected on the site.
[3][4][5][6][7] In the mid 19th century, the ballad passed from the oral tradition into publication through the printing of broadsides in Great Britain, Ireland, and the United States.