Exciting fare at 50th anniversary boxing finals

THE 50th anniversary juvenile and junior boxing championships were staged in Ennis over the past week and a total of 62 boxers went on the scales, with the inclusion of boxers from the newly formed Doolin club, a highlight of the weigh-in and subsequent draws.
It was expected that boxing would be completed by the Wednesday sessions but with the new one-fight per-day ruling, officials and boxers were obliged to congregate once more on Sunday last to box off the last of the finals.
The strength in depth and huge membership of the Ennis club was the prevailing factor in the championships with Ennis boxers accounting for 27 of the 38 titles on offer, testament perhaps of the strength of the sport in the town.
Kilfenora’s youth squad won four titles, while Doolin boxers accounted for the remaining seven. It must be said that the ladies from the Kilfenora club, who generally sweep the boards in the county championships, will not be in action until May, when the provincial and national championships get underway.
The newly formed Shannon club, which affiliated in October, was satisfied to wait out this one and prepare its squad for the coming year.
There were few surprises in the finals, with all reigning champions defending their titles successfully but the performances of the Flynn brothers, Patrick and Paul, from Doolin, were  significant as they gave trainer Martin Danagher the first silverware for the Doolin BC trophy cabinet.
Paul won the 52kg title with victory over the fancied Diarmuid O’Gorman from the Ennis club, while lightwelter, Patrick, survived a resilient comeback from Leon O’Connor from Kilfenora in a torrid battle for the title.
Bruce Pigott from Ennis captured the 36kg title in a thriller against Mark Ward and clubmate James McDonagh took the 39kg title after two solid victories over Dale Watson and Tom Galbraith respectively.
Kilfenora’s Conor and Pádraig Malone continue to improve as they advanced to the upcoming provincial championships with good victories in the 36kg and 80kg divisions.
All of the Ennis BC champions came through unscathed and will weigh-in this Saturday for the Munster championships, which get under way in Limerick on Sunday.
Brothers Patrick and Mike McDonagh in the 46kg and 63kg respectively are fancied to lift titles, while European medallist Keelan Sexton is in excellent form as he seeks to defend his provincial crown.
Reigning Irish champion Conor Doyle, in the 60kg division, will be going in search of a hat-trick of national titles and he is a phenomenal talent, while Brian McDonagh in the Boy 4- 66kg division will seek to regain the Irish title, which he surrendered last year by the narrowest of margins. Newcomers Cillian O’Gorman, Adam Howard, Martin Darcy and Pat McDaid will be experiencing the rigours of the provincial championships for the very first time and are in good shape and raring to go.
The provincial tests will be completed on Saturday and Sunday of the following weekend and all winners will advance to the national championships, which will be held in the National Stadium in Dublin during Easter week.

Lyons to
manage Irish team
ENNIS coach Tommy Lyons has been appointed manager/judge to the Irish team which will compete in the multi-nations tournament in Frankfurt from Thursday to Sunday of this week. It is a significant honour for the hard-working Ennis official and he has a very talented and experienced team for the occasion. Caoilinn McCormack from the Kilfenora club will be in the squad for her first international as one of four ladies amongst whom are European gold medallist Amy Broadhurst from Dealgan BC in Louth. Caoilinn is also the youngest boxer in the 14-strong squad hoping for gold in Frankfurt.

Results
Boy 1
29kg: Peter Quinn (Ennis); 36kg:Bruce Pigott   (Ennis); 39kg: James McDonagh (Ennis); 42kg: Gearóid O’Grady (Ennis); 48kg: Bradley McDonagh (Ennis); 52kg: Jack Hassett (Ennis).

Boy 2
36kg: Conor Malone (Kilfenora); 39kg: Jake Ryan (Ennis);
42kg: Davy Boy Keenan (Ennis); 46kg: Pat McDonagh (Ennis); 50kg: Gavin Carr (Ennis); 54kg: Luke Moriarty (Ennis).

Boy 3
46 kg: Cathal Darcy (Ennis); 48kg: Sean Tierney (Ennis); 60kg: Conor Doyle (Ennis); 63kg: Martin Mongan (Ennis); 80kg: Johnny Ryan (Ennis).

Boy 4
36kg: Cian Burke (Kilfenora); 52kg: Paul Flynn (Doolin); 60kg: Pat McDaid (Ennis); 63kg: Mike McDonagh (Ennis); 75kg: Michael Galbraith (Ennis); 80kg: Cian Houlihan (Ennis); 90kg: Ciarán Johnson (Doolin).

Junior 1
48kg: Jack Devitt (Kilfenora); 57kg: Charlie Moraghan (Doolin); 66kg: Ryan Burke (Doolin); 70kg: Cillian O’Gormain (Ennis); 75kg: Keelan Sexton (Ennis); 80kg: Pádraig Malone (Kilfenora); 91kg: Alan Sweeney (Doolin).        

Junior 2
46kg: Rory Brennan (Ennis); 60kg: Patrick Flynn (Doolin); 63kg: Martin Darcy (Ennis); 66kg: Patrick Chesser (Ennis); 70kg: Liam St George (Doolin); 75kg: Adam Howard (Ennis); 80kg: Tom McDonagh (Ennis).