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The crowd assembled was immense: vehicles of every kind were put in requisition, and by twelve o’clock the Curragh exhibited as motley a concourse as could be imagined. The country boys from the adjacent counties, Wicklow and Kildare, who love a bit of sport of this kind as well as the best of the fancy, assembled in great numbers, and all repaired to take their places at that natural and beautiful amphitheatre, known by the name of “Belcher’s Valley.”^[14] In the centre flat, surrounded entirely by rising hills, a twenty-four feet ring was erected, well corded in—the amateurs paying 5s. for front seats—while the uplands were covered with spectators. About twenty-five minutes before one o’clock Langan entered the ring, attended by his second, Halton, with Norman as his bottle-holder; immediately after, Owen M’Gowran, attended by Kearney as his second, with his bottle-holder, advanced to the scene of action. The combatants stripped, both apparently in good condition; they shook hands with the greatest cordiality, and at eighteen minutes before one o’clock the fight commenced, at minute time. Betting five to four on Langan, the favourite.