Recent picture of boxing legend Muhammad Ali looking toward the crowd while being driven around the stadium at the FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships in Windsor, Berkshire, on August 28, 2009. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP)

DUBLIN, September 1, 2009 (AFP) - Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was honoured Tuesday as the first freeman of a west Ireland town from where his great-grandfather emigrated to the United States in the 1800s.

Abe Grady left Ennis, County Clare, for Kentucky in the 1860s where he married an African-American woman and they had a son called John Grady -- Ali's grandfather. His daughter Odessa Lee Grady was Ali's mother.

Grady's great-grandson went on to become one of the world's greatest boxers, as the first to win the world heavyweight championship title three times.

"It's fantastic. I never thought this would happen," Mayor Frankie Neylon told AFP. "He is definitely the most famous son of Ennis."

With all the talk of economic recession in Ireland, the visit of the international sporting icon was a "ray of sunshine" for the town, he said.

Neylon presented the scroll of freedom to the boxer, now 67 and fighting Parkinson's disease, at a civic reception in the town decked out with bunting and US flags.

On behalf of Ali, his wife Yolanda 'Lonnie' said it was a pleasure to be in "Muhammad's ancestral hometown" and to receive an overwhelming welcome.

"When you look at Muhammad's pugilistic skills and his loquatious ways I am am sure if his great-grandfather was alive he would swear it came from him. If he were alive today I bet he would be in every pub talking about it too.

"Now that we know that Muhammad is an Ennisman we will be back," she said.

Ali was given the honour for his unrivalled sporting achievements and his contribution to educational and charitable causes through his global fundraising foundation.

While in some cities the status of freeman brings ancient privileges -- in Dublin a freeman is allowed graze his sheep in a city park -- the freeman of Ennis is simply an honorary title.

"It is the highest honour we can give him but if he returns with a flock of sheep we will let him graze them somewhere in the town," Neylon said.

"We will also give him free parking which is a bigger bonus than sheep grazing in Ennis these days."

Ali fought Al "Blue" Lewis in 1972 in front of a crowd of 25,000 in Dublin, and also visited Ireland to lead out the US team when Dublin hosted the Special Olympics in 2003.

Ali was originally Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior but changed his name to Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964.

Genealogists also claim that both US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are descended from Irish families of shoemakers with their ancestors leaving Ireland within weeks of each other in April and May 1849.

As a result of waves of migration, about 34 million people in the United States claim an Irish connection.