Nothing draws a crowd like a fight.

So says Pat O'Donnell, Curator of the Fighting Irishmen exhibition at yesterday's launch at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

Originally conceived by the Irish Arts Center in Hell's Kitchen, New York, the exhibition celebrates Celtic prize fighters from 1820 to the present. It also tells the story of boxer emigration to the USA from both Northern Ireland and the republic. Liam Neeson, who boxed as a teenager, is chair of the exhibit.

The contribution of Irish boxing and boxers to Olympic medal success is well documented (most of the medallists being Northern Irish), after all. Barry McGuigan opened the exhibition surrounded by other past champions - John McNally (Olympic Silver, Helsinki), Jim McCourt (Olympic Bronze, Tokyo), Hugh Russell (Olympic Bronze, Moscow), Charlie Nash (European and British Champion), Davey Lorimer (British Champion), Paul McCluskey (current Commonwealth Champion) and Gerry Storey (Olympic boxing coach for Munich, Montreal and Moscow, the only trainer in Ireland to train 2 Olympic medallists - Hugh Russell and Paddy Barnes). The Culture Northern Ireland film crew was on hand to capture the moment.

Pat and her team have taken this excellent idea and, inspired by London 2012, taken it many steps further. Workshops and activities around 'writing and fighting' and 'women and boxing' are planned for London 2012 Open Weekend. Young fighters from the Omagh Boxing Club will be guiding visitors and showcasing their skills.

I got to handle John McNally's silver medal from the 1952 Helsinki Games. His greatest memory, he told me, was the food. So much food when he first walked into the athletes' canteen fresh from the post-War rations regime back home.

Meanwhile, Hugh Russell was having to get used to being on the other side of the camera for the day - he usually works as a professional photographer.

He said after the event: 'Winning a Bronze medal in Moscow in 1980 was a high point in my boxing career. The Fighting Irishmen exhibition demonstrates how successful Irish boxers have been at this sport.

'I think it’s great that London 2012 are able to involve everyone in activities that are inspired by the Olympics and Paralympics. I had never been to this museum before but I think the partnership between the museum, the community and Northern Ireland’s boxing clubs is very interesting and exciting.'

As Pat O'Donnell said, 'Involvement with the Inspire mark has created wonderful new partnerships for the museum.'

Barry McGuigan said: 'I have been an amateur boxer, an Olympian (Moscow 1980) and a professional champion and I have always thought of the sportsmen and women who compete in the Olympics as the best in the world; the elite athletes.

'However, the link between boxing and a cultural project created by the Ulster American Folk Park and inspired by London 2012 is really intriguing. Congratulations to the museum for being awarded an Inspire Mark for “Fighting Irishmen”. 

'London 2012 is showing that you don't have to be an athlete to be part of the 2012 Games, there are lots of ways of being involved. I look forward to hearing about many more projects from Northern Ireland in the future.'

And for me, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad has just got richer with the arrival of Fighting Irishmen.

I'll be going back as soon as I can.