Ennis and Limerick share the spoils in inter-county competition

CLARE boxers travelled to Limerick last Sunday to the Southside Boxing Academy for the first leg of the annual inter-county showdown with their hosts.

The match, which is boxed annually for the Cecil Campbell Trophy, was not contested last year and is usually a cliffhanger, so the large crowd got value for money with a 6-6 draw the first leg result. The return will be in Ennis after the Christmas break.
The bout of the evening was the middleweight clash between old adversaries Terry Harris and Ennis international Keelan Sexton. Both fighters were keen to lay down a marker from the opening bell and the opening two rounds were fought with frenetic fervour. Sexton hurt the Limerick fighter with left hooks to the head and body but Harris came on strong in the final round and almost stole it in the final minutes. This is a battle that will guarantee a full house in the second leg in January.
Kilfenora’s Sean McCormack doubled up at middleweight against Colm Ryan from the St Francis club. He found the persistence, sheer fitness and stamina of the Limerick boxer a little daunting, losing out on a majority decision at the end of three good rounds of boxing.
McCormack’s clubmate, Padraig Malone, atoned somewhat in the light-middleweight battle with Adam O’Donnell from the St Francis club and once more laid down a marker for a mouth-watering clash in Ennis.
Limerick brothers Myles and Jamie Casey met with mixed fortunes against Peter Quinn and Bradley McDonagh from the Ennis club, with Myles boxing out of his skin for victory and Jamie having to succumb to the orthodox jabbing and hooking of the very skilful McDonagh.
With the hosts looking good for victory, leading 6-4 with two bouts remaining, two of Clare’s best, Robbie Cassidy from Kilfenora and Mike McDonagh from the Ennis club, came up trumps with smashing victories over Martin Mongan and Conor Madden. Madden from the famed St Francis club had no answer to the pulverizing attacks of the Kilfenora fighter, while McDonagh, a stylish southpaw, came through to save the day with a second-round stoppage and palpable relief for the Clare side.

Results
Boy 1, 29kg: Myles Casey bt Peter Quinn.
48kg: Bradley McDonagh bt Jamie Casey.
Boy 2, 36kg: Jake Ryan bt Barney Casey.
63kg: Jordan Joyce bt Martin Mongan.
Boy 2, 42kg: Timmylee Casey bt Davy Keenan.
42kg: Edward Donovan bt Pat McDonagh.
Boy 4, 48kg: Barry Casey bt Barry Cotter.
63kg: Michael McDonagh bt Martin Mongan.
Youth 2, 72kg: Colm Ryan bt Sean McCormack.
70kg: Padraig Malone bt Adam O’Donnell.
75kg: Keelan Sexton bt Terry Harris.
60kg: Robbie Cassidy bt Conor Madden.