Hat-trick of national boxing titles

THE local lady boxers completed a hat-trick of Irish titles at the National Youth and U-21 Boxing Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin.

Kilfenora cousins Caoilinn and Kayleigh McCormack and Sally Carrig from the Ennis club all won impressively in their respective finals on Friday and Saturday last.

Kayleigh (17) was outstanding against Shauna Flynn from Iniskeen in the U-21 decider, winning 17-6, having dominated proceedings from the opening bell in her final. There was no doubting the Clare girl’s strength and accuracy as she powered her way to her third title in five years of boxing. This one probably ranks as her finest victory.

Sally Carrig captured the Youths 65kg title with a third round stoppage against Rayssa de Silva from Mitchelstown. This was as emphatic as one could wish, as the Ennis girl hurt de Silva in the first with a cracking left hook to the head and while the Cork girl rallied in the second, the end seemed inevitable. The end indeed came 30 seconds into the third round, with the hapless de Silva on the receiving end of a barrage of lefts and rights and clearly in no condition to continue.

Caoilinn McCormack, daughter of club trainer Patrick, completed the hat-trick with a hard-earned victory against Grainne Garvin from Castlebar for the 56kg Youths title.

McCormack’s resilience was tested in as she tired in the second round to go in level at 8-8, only to pull out all the stops in the final round for a 12-9 victory.

The victories for Sally and Caoilinn in the Youths (U- 16) divisions earned them both places on the Irish team for the European Youths Championships next month in Katowice, Poland. Both will have little time to savour their respective victories as they leave for Poland this Friday morning.