Comments - Martin Sheridan NYPD Cop, Olympic Gold Medalist and Pandemic Victim - The Wild Geese2024-03-28T19:10:16Zhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=6442157%3ABlogPost%3A292070&xn_auth=noHello Geoffrey ...
My friend…tag:thewildgeese.irish,2021-05-05:6442157:Comment:2934032021-05-05T02:51:36.681ZBobby Cassidyhttps://thewildgeese.irish/profile/2z58pvx2y7kt3
<p>Hello Geoffrey ... </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">My friend and one-time Newsday colleague Gerry Reagan suggested that I reach out to you.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">I am doing some research for a project on my Dad, Bobby Cassidy. He was a professional fighter from 1963 to 1980, wore kelly green trunks and was always introduced as Irish Bobby Cassidy. He fought often at Madison Square Garden, as well as the old fight club, Sunnyside Garden.…</span></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p>Hello Geoffrey ... </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">My friend and one-time Newsday colleague Gerry Reagan suggested that I reach out to you.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">I am doing some research for a project on my Dad, Bobby Cassidy. He was a professional fighter from 1963 to 1980, wore kelly green trunks and was always introduced as Irish Bobby Cassidy. He fought often at Madison Square Garden, as well as the old fight club, Sunnyside Garden.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Sadly, like many former fighters, he's now battling dementia.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">While researching the boxing stuff is relatively easy, it's the other parts of his life that prove more difficult. I am trying to piece together a memory from my childhood that, unfortunately, my Dad can't help with me any longer. My Dad fought at Sunnyside Garden at different stages of his career and had a string of fights there in the mid-1970s before it closed down. It was at this time that I was old enough to go watch him fight. At that point, Sunnyside was still a very Irish neighborhood. There were plenty of bars around Sunnyside Garden, heck, there was even a bar attached to the front of the arena.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">I remember as a kid, my Dad hanging out with someone who was loosely affiliated with the IRA, probably, most likely, an IRA supporter who lived in Queens ... I tried asking my Dad about this but he has no idea... I guess the place for me to start is a really wide net ... I realize this may be an impossible task ... I am looking for anyone who might remember an IRA support group, or sympathizers in the Sunnyside, Woodside area ... Or perhaps Irish bars where this might have been a topic of conversation or served as an unofficial clubhouse. My introduction to this person was 1975 or 1976. He was definitely a good 10 years older than my father. He definitely came to the fights.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> At that point, my father was 31 or 32 . Which, in 1975, put this gentleman in his early or mid 40s. Very possible he's no longer alive. I distinctly remember my Dad saying, "See this guy, he's IRA." .. And the man just chuckled.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span style="line-height: 1.3;">I know this may seem an impossible question to answer, but any direction of help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. </span><span class="s1">Thanks very much - Bobby Cassidy Jr. ... I can be reached here or at cassboxer@yahoo.com </span></p>