Billy “Cyclone” Warren stood outside Dublin’s GPO on O’Connell Street almost every day for four decades, wearing a bowler hat, Crombie coat, and starched white collar while carrying an advertising board for Nugget boot polish, according to historical accounts. Long overlooked in mainstream history, Warren’s life as an American-born boxer, global traveler, and fixture of mid-20th-century Dublin street life is now the subject of Cyclone, an immersive theatre production by Anu director and writer Louise Lowe.
Who Was Billy “Cyclone” Warren?
Warren was born in the United States and began his career as a professional boxer at the beginning of the 20th century, fighting in the era’s brutal “battle royal” circuits where multiple black men fought simultaneously for spectators’ wagers, according to background details gathered by Anu. His boxing career spanned the US, Australia, and Europe, and he reportedly sparred with Jack Johnson, who became the first black world heavyweight champion in 1908, as noted by production researchers. Eventually arriving in Ireland, Warren became a permanent fixture of Dublin street life, earning affection from residents who later sent gifts and money from across the country as he grew ill, according to historical accounts cited by Lowe.
The Friendship That Shaped a Life in Dublin
Warren’s path to Ireland was tied to a friendship forged in New York with Mike Farrell, a Galway-born boxer who was unusually short and blind in one eye, according to production background. The two fighters met in the ring where Farrell won the bout, yet offered Warren his hand afterward—an uncommon act of sportsmanship for an era when boxing served primarily as a brutal means of survival. Farrell eventually lost his remaining sight and returned to Ireland to live in a Drumcondra home for the blind, where Warren would occasionally visit him for a pint, according to historical records discovered during the theatre company’s research.
Bringing a Hidden History to the Stage
Director Louise Lowe first encountered Warren’s name a decade ago while reviewing the Bureau of Military History archives for centenary projects, discovering sporadic mentions in testimonies regarding Bloody Sunday and weapon transfers. This fragmentary archival record inspired Cyclone, a production blending the choreography of boxing with intimate storytelling, featuring actor Sheik Bah as Warren and Campbell Courage as Jack Johnson. “Who gets to be Irish? What do you have to achieve to be recognised as Irish?” Bah said, noting that the themes surrounding Warren’s decades in Dublin remain relevant. “This is a story that happened in the last century, but we’re still having the same conversation.”
Production Details and Location Significance
Anu is staging Cyclone at 1 Railway Court as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival, running from Friday, September 25th, until Saturday, October 10th, with previews beginning Monday, September 21st. In a coincidence discovered by the production team while overlaying modern and historical maps, the venue is located on the exact site just off Talbot Street where Warren once lived. The creators hope the immersive staging will encourage audiences to share second-hand family stories about seeing Warren on the capital’s streets, helping to fill the gaps left by sparse archival records.
Did you know? During his decades standing outside the GPO on O’Connell Street, Billy Warren was so well-known in Dublin that local traffic wardens reportedly stopped traffic specifically to help him cross the road safely, according to historical accounts gathered by Anu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Billy “Cyclone” Warren?
Billy Warren was an American-born former professional boxer who moved to Dublin and became an iconic street figure, standing outside the GPO on O’Connell Street for 40 years wearing a bowler hat and carrying a Nugget boot polish board.
What is Cyclone?
Cyclone is an immersive theatre production by Anu directed by Louise Lowe, exploring the life of Billy Warren through a blend of dramatic narrative and the physicality of boxing.
Where is Cyclone being performed?
The production is staged at 1 Railway Court in north inner-city Dublin—coincidentally the exact site where Warren once lived—as part of the Dublin Theatre Festival.
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