Mixed fortunes for Ennis boxers

ENNIS boxers met with mixed fortunes in the finals of the National Juvenile (boys 1, 2 and 3) Boxing Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin last Friday and Saturday.

Defending champion Conor Doyle lost out 16-6 in his 60kg final with Jordan Myers from Inisfree in Sligo but Bradley McDonagh took the 48kg Boy 1 title in fine style in his first year of competitive boxing to keep the club’s record of national titles buoyant.

Patrick Donovan from Ennis, who boxes out of the Our Lady of Lourdes Club in Limerick, regained the national title, when he was victorious in the Boy 3 44kg final.

Young McDonagh was quite superb in all of his three fights, beating John Ward (St Ailbhe’s) in the quarter-final, 8-6. He was accuracy personified against pre-championship favourite, Sean McGinty from Silverbridge in Donegal, beating the Ulster champion 10-4 in the semi-final. He then took on the favourite’s tag in his final with Michael Stokes (Athlone) and was 3-2 down after a lack-lustre first round, where he struggled to find his rhythm.

A stern one-on-one with corner men Brendan Howard and Tommy Lyons saw the Ennis youngster come up for the second firing on all cylinders to end the round on a 7-3 advantage. In the third, McDonagh simply dominated proceedings with excellent left-right combinations for a sensational 11-6 title victory that seemed beyond his reach earlier on.

Bradley is the second McDonagh sibling to win national honours, as his brother, Brian, captured an Irish title three years ago and he was proud as punch in the Holy Family School on Monday morning with his gold medal. Teaching staff and pupils alike joined in celebrations and Bradley was over the moon as school caretaker Mike Gormley held his gold medal aloft for all of the pupils to see.

Conor Doyle was the captain of the Clare squad and was determined to annex the 60kg title for a hat-trick of national titles but after a scintillating 9-4 semi-final win against Brian Mullaney (Paulstown BC, Kilkenny) on Friday night, Doyle never got going in the final against Jordan Myers (Inisfree, Sligo). Myers was also a two-time Irish champion and boxed in England during last autumn. He came out of his corner with blinding speed, never allowing the Ennis boxer into his stride. Myers’ body shots were irrepressible and accurate and he won the day on a 16-6 scoreline. It was Doyle’s first defeat of the current season and he may well move up to the 66kg division for the coming season to renew his bid for that elusive third title.

Patrick McDonagh (Ennis) was so close to reaching his very first final in the Boy 2 42kg class when he drew 7-7 with Oran McCann from the St Paul’s Club in Antrim but the computer countback went 20-19 in the Northerner’s favour – agonisingly close in a tremendous scrap that saw fortunes fluctuating throughout.

Conor Malone from Kilfenora received a bye into the semi-finals of the 36kg class, but was outclassed 16-2 by Barry McReynolds from St Paul’s.

Patrick Donovan’s opponent in the Boy 3 44kg final was Nathan Maye from Crumlin, who emerged with a 5-4 victory. Donovan was the national champion in 2011 but was disqualified in the 2012 final before bouncing back to take this year’s title.

Patrick’s brother, Edward, an Irish title winner last year, was beaten 6-4 in his semi-final in the Boy 2 division.
Patrick and Edward’s first cousins, Patrick Noel and John Donovan, were also in action at the stadium at the weekend. Patrick Noel suffered an 8-7 loss to Aaron McKenna from Belfast in the Boy 3 46kg semi-final, while John was beaten 5-2 in the Boy 1 63kg final.

Another Ennis boxer who boxes out of the Our Lady of Lourdes Club, Martin Mongans, lost 10-5 in the semi-final of the Boy 3 57kg championship.

Munster girls championships
THE Munster girls championships get underway this weekend in Castleisland and Clare will again be well represented by Irish champions Sally Carrig (Ennis), Niamh Aherne, Louise O’Regan and Caoilinn McCormack from the Kilfenora club, as well as Shannon McCormack, Clodagh Collins and Grace Cassidy.

Ennis girls Tara Dowling, Amy Keating, Rebecca Windall and Theresa Ward will all be making their respective debuts in championship boxing in the Castleisland arena.