ON the home front, all Clare juvenile and youth boxers went to scales on Saturday morning last for the Munster championships,  which got underway on Sunday in Corpus Christi BC in Limerick.

Three of Clare’s seven boxers made it through to the semi-finals which will be staged next weekend with the prize of  a cherished provincial title and the prospect of  a ticket to the national finals scheduled for Dublin during Easter week.

Youth 75kg Keelan Sexton has been injury-free and in sparkling form this season and he made short work of Martin McDonagh from St Paul’s in Waterford  in Sunday’s quarter-final. Sexton led 7-3 at the end of the first round and while McDonagh came out strong in the second, he was nailed with a solid right to the chin by the Ennis boxer, and the referee  terminated the bout with McDonagh struggling to get to his feet.

It is looking good for Sexton in these championships and hopes are high that he can regain the Irish title that eluded  him last season. The youngster from Quilty is a talented footballer and hurler with Kilmurry Ibrickane and Inagh-Kilnamona respectively, but is a prodigious boxer  and captured a silver medal in the European Youths Championships in Azerbaijan in 2011.

Youth 60kg Pat McDaid from the Ennis club lost out 9-6 in a great scrap, which saw the Ennis youngster take the initiative from the first bell in this, his first championship match. He was connecting with his favourite right cross until a thumb injury early in the second had him protecting the injured digit. He fell 8-4 behind after the second and could only garner two more points in the final round.

There was a surprise in the Boys 42kg contest when unbeaten Gearóid O’Grady lost out 8-6 to Mike McGowan from Clonmel. The Ennis youngster had been unbeaten to date and had all the attributes of a champion. When he led 5-3 going into the third and final round, all seemed perfect but McGowan found an extra gear and edged the Ennis youngster out by a whisker.

Paul Flynn from the newly formed  Doolin club gave trainer Martin Danagher hopes of  glory with an accomplished victory over Dara Brosnan from Ballyduff in Kerry. Flynn, whose brother Patrick boxes in next weekend’s semi-finals, will now meet Jim Keenan from the Brian Dillons Club in Cork  for a place in the final and hopes are high for a first for the North Clare club.

Mark Kearney from Crusheen boxes out of the Ennis club and he upset the odds last week with victory over the fancied Raymond Downey from Trojan. Kearney, in only his fifth competitive fight, held his composure and used a solid right throughout to force the referee to intervene in the final seconds of the third round.

Many of the fancied Ennis contenders have not yet gone into action. It is expected the likes of Mike and Brian McDonagh (no relation) will do the business this weekend. Conor Doyle , a reigning Irish champion is expected to join Keelan Sexton on the winner’s rostrum and newcomers Pat Chesser and Adam Howard will also be in contention.

 

Lyons steers Ireland to victory

IRELAND’S Youth and Junior boxing team routed Germany 8-1 in Schrieshelm on Sunday last, recording their second victory on German soil over the host country.

Kilfenora girl Caoilinn McCormack, daughter of the club’s main coach Patrick, was prominent in the second match with a 10-10 draw with Nikki Lucorto and in general the Irish were superior in both girls and boys contests.

Ireland won the series 16-3 over two matches and laid down a marker for the future and the abundance of  young talent emanating from all four provinces .

Ennis coach Tommy Lyons was in charge of the Irish squad and was full of praise for the performances and the demeanour of the youthful team.