Among “Wild Bill “ Donovan’s many fascinating friends was Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, the fictional, globe trotting superspy. Donovan’s real-life feats, however, surpassed even Bond’s wildest exploits.

Perhaps no other Irish-American served his country more daringly, yet Donovan’s largely clandestine service to America is still greatly underappreciated. Born in 1883 into poverty, the son of a Co. Cork born railroad…

His fists earned him a world featherweight boxing title, but his songs and geniality won him his city’s hearts. Nicknamed the singing Irishman, Rinty Monaghan, even decades after he left the ring, remains a beloved Belfast icon. In a town full of fascinating characters, Monaghan has proven to be one of…