Ennis club honours its national champions

Four Ennis boxers who captured titles for their club at this year’s Irish Juvenile Championships were presented with engraved trophies to mark the significant achievement of the occasion this week.

The presentations were made by the club, which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Twelve-year-old Conor Doyle, who won the 44kg title in his first year of competitive boxing, was outstanding throughout the season and unbeaten in all of his 12 bouts. He returned to training last week for the new season and will defend his title next Easter.
He waxes lyrical about his mentors in the Ennis Club and about the stimulus which he gleaned from coaches Danny Fitz and Sean Carrig. His father, Dave, is justifiably proud of his youngest son and has encouraged twins Rhys and Tom to have a go at the sport this year. Both have just turned 16. weighing around 70kg and over six foot tall with excellent reach, the pair look the part according to coach Tommy Lyons.
Thirteen-year-old Brian McDonagh took the 54kg boy 2 title with a third round KO against Rosmuc’s Cathal Griffin, having beaten all of his opponents en-route to the final by comprehensive margins. Brian is a magnificent boxer with good hand-speed and ringcraft. He was defeated in the provincial championships last year and it was this defeat that drove him to attain the highest standard of fitness and accuracy of punch for his successful assault on the 54kg title. His commitment and dedication to perfection is remarkable for one so young.
Keelan Sexton, a 14-year-old with power and versatility captured the boy 3 70kg title with composure which belied his age.
It was his third successive title and his utter demolition of Cavan’s James Laverty in the final was to land him his first Irish singlet.
Sexton is compact and powerful, with an ultra-reliable left hook as the hallmark of a talented and dedicated fighter. He plays football with equal versatility and enthusiasm with his beloved Kilmurry-Ibrickane and is nurtured diligently by his dad, Kevin, and granddad, Martin Burke, who was a professional in his halcyon years in London.
Keelan makes the journey to Ennis BC two and three nights a week for training and his dedication is amply rewarded by the Irish selectors, who have called him onto the elite cadets squad for training that will commence this weekend.
Sally Carrig, who captured the 63kg title at her first attempt, was the surprise packet of the championship winners. While it was expected that next year would have been her ambition, she surprised all and sundry with a smashing victory in the national finals.
Sally’s father, Sean, is her coach and mentor and, just like Katie Taylor and her dad, Pete, they work very closely and diligently together in a sport that demands the ultimate fitness and preparation.
Sally plays camogie and football with Ballyea, but the lure of the ring has given her a completely new perspective on sport.
All four champions are scheduled to box in the club’s 50th anniversary tournament in the West County Hotel on Saturday, October 22.
The tournament will be a celebration of the club’s half century and will feature 14 contests, promising to be a sell out for the Ennis venue.