"The Unstoppable John Morrissey" -
The John Morrissey Exhibit at the ICC

Dates: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 - Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Cost: FREE!

Location: H.A.R.P. Museum located on the second floor of the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley at 623 Columbia St., Utica

Contact: info@iccmv.org

John Morrissey (1831–1878), born in Tipperary and raised in Troy, NY, was a bare-knuckle boxing champion, savvy gambler, political powerhouse, and the driving force behind America’s oldest operating horse racing track - Saratoga Race Course. With a tough-as-nails upbringing and a sharp instinct for opportunity, Morrissey rose from dock worker to national notoriety as a prizefighter before reinventing himself as a casino owner and racecourse visionary. In 1863, he organized Saratoga’s first thoroughbred races to entertain the elite before their evening games of chance. The success spurred the creation of the current racetrack the following year. Though never far from scandal, Morrissey used his wits to secure two terms in U.S. Congress and later served in the New York State Senate. He died in Saratoga at just 47 - but his legacy remains etched in the city’s very identity.

This exhibit of photo panels and storytelling boards is on display at the H.A.R.P. Museum, located on the 2nd floor of the Irish Cultural Center. Admission is free and open to the public during regular hours of Five Points Public House. Come raise a glass and discover the legend of John Morrissey - fighter, founder, and unapologetic Irish-American icon. ☘️

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