McCormack takes victory in all-Clare national final

In a busy weekend for Clare boxing, a weekend ironically which terminates the current season, there was a significant finale to the championship aspirations of Clare’s female boxers. Kayleigh McCormack from the Kilfenora club claimed her third national title at the expense of fellow Clare lightweight, Antoinette Keane from Ennis.

The championships, which spanned the past three weekends, ended in a welter of excitement for the jaded girls, who had shown some real class in their respective semi-finals on Friday night. Keane was superb in her demolition of Trojan’s Niamh Ball, while McCormack, with her traditional long-range left jabs, was unerring as she outboxed and outpunched the seasoned Louise Donoghue from Geesala in Mayo.
This was to set up an intriguing lightweight final and a historic first for the association, with two Clare boxers contesting an Irish championship decider in the National Stadium.
The first and second rounds finished tied at 1-1 and 4-4. Keane’s pressure tactics appeared to be working in the opening exchanges of the third, which finished level at 8-8, but McCormack was countering well behind her long reach.
That left it all to play for in the fourth and it was McCormack, firing home some basic but very effective left/right combinations, that surged ahead to secure a 14-11 decision.
It was significant for both Kayleigh and Antoinette in the wake of their heroic battle for supremacy on Saturday at noon that both were whisked away from the scene of the memorable battle in the National Stadium to grace the weekend’s inter-county tournament being hosted by Ennis BC and Clare County Council. They were given a tumultuous welcome in the Ennis Community Centre when they were presented by MC Tony Roche at the opening of the evening’s boxing, savouring the action from the safer side of the ring.
The tournament brought the fighting Down and Mourne twinning contingent into battle with their Clare counterparts and a great evening’s boxing ensued, ending in a 6-6 draw.
Local boxers Keelan Sexton, Brian McDonagh and reigning Irish champion Conor Doyle all had impressive victories against Fergus Quinn, Martin Fox and Oran Keddle. The Northerners had their heroes in Gene McKeever, Shane McGarry and David Doran, all of whom sparkled in their battles with Jamie Mongan (Olympic), Mike and James Galbraith (Ennis).
The respective chairmen of the twinning committees, Councillor Michael Begley from Clare County Council and Mayor of Newry and Mourne, Charlie Casey, presented the trophies to the two teams of boxers after the tournament and each praised the commitment and diligence of the competitors.
Catherine O’Hara from Clare County Council was the organising supremo and she was delighted with the success of the boxing tournament and accepted the invitation of Newry and Mourne coach Gavin Dougan for a reciprocal match in County Down for the Clare boxers, who will no doubt relish the prospect in the coming season.

Results
Boy 2 36kg: Tom Galbraith (Ennis) lost to Michael Byrne (St Brigid’s Mourne);
Pat McDonagh (Ennis) lost to Pat Byrne (St Brigid’s)
Boy 3 50kg: Jamie Keane (Ennis) beat Matt Murnion (St Bronagh’s);
Michael Galbraith (Ennis) lost to Shane McGarry
Boy 3 48kg: Conor Doyle (Ennis) beat Oran Keddle (St Bronagh’s)
Youth 1 75kg: Keelan Sexton (Ennis) beat Fergus Quinn (Camlough)
Youth 54kg: Frankie Donovan (Olympic) lost to Paddy Fallon (Camlough)
Lightweight: Mike McCarthy (Olympic) beat Mike McGarry (St Bronagh’s)
Boy 3 44kg: Jamie Mongan (Olympic) lost to Gene McKeever (St Malachy’s)
Boy 3 50kg: Michael McDonagh (Ennis) beat Alan White (St Brigid’s)
Lightwelter: Brian McDonagh (Ennis) beat Martin Fox (St Brigid’s)
Welter: James Galbraith (Ennis) lost to David Doran (St Bronagh’s).