Ennis boxers crowned Munster champions

FIVE young Ennis boys delivered telling blows as they helped Our Lady of Lourdes Boxing Club in Limerick to win the best club award at last week’s Munster Juvenile Championships.

Two sets of brothers, Patrick and Edward Donovan and their first cousins, Johnnie and Patrick Noel Donovan, were all crowned Munster champions, as was Martin Mongans.

All five are trained by Martin Donovan, an Irish light-welterweight finalist in 2001 when he boxed out of the Ennis club. He is the father of Patrick and Edward, who are reigning Irish champions.

Patrick won the 44kg Boy 3 Munster title when he beat Calvin O’Reilly from Mitchelstown in the final. On the way to the final, he defeated Emmett Lyons from Bantry in the semi-final and Jay Dalton from Clonmel in the previous round.

Patrick’s brother, Edward, won the Boy 2 39kg title, beating Lorcan Hurley from Tramore in the final. In the semi-final, he stopped Jake Ryan from Ennis in Round 1. Johnnie Donovan won the Boy 1 63kg title when he defeated Danny O’Connor from St Paul’s in Nenagh in the final.

His brother, Patrick Noel, won the 46kg Boy 3 title when he defeated Tim McDonagh from St John’s in the final. In earlier rounds, he beat Ben Breslin from Tramore and Cathal Darcy from Ennis.

Martin Mongans won the 57kg Boy 3 title, beating Dara Kissane from the Trojan club in Kerry in the final.

The Our Lady of Lourdes club amassed 52 points to win the best club award. Ennis and St Francis from Limerick shared second spot with 50 points each. Martin Mongans’ victory over Kissane sealed the best club award.

“We all live in Ennis but we travel to the club three times a week for training,” Martin Donovan said. Donovan coaches the boxers along with Tim Casey and Shane Daly.

All of the Munster winners will be in Dublin from April 1 for the national finals, which will take place over a two-week period.