Glen Boxing Club's tribute to Tomás MacCurtain was a night to remember

ON Friday 13th March 2020, in their own club, The Glen Boxing Club organised a magnificent centenary commemoration to perpetuate the memory of their first President Tomas Mac Curtain. 

This was led by the then Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. John Sheehan who with the granddaughter of Tomas Mac Curtain unveiled a special commissioned portrait of the Blackpool man murdered by British crown forces.

Fionnuala Mac Curtain represented the Mac Curtain Family, the event was attended by many former Cork Lord Mayors, who formed part of a circle in a candle Vigil of Prayer on the night. 

It was a night of reflection and appreciation of the great sacrifices many Irishmen made in the cause of Irish Freedom. 

As part of the ceremony there was also a musical tribute to mark the occasion, Glen Rovers Hurling Club Choir performed along with baritone Denis Lane and piper Norman O’Rourke.

Following the event that night, the Covid 19 pandemic closed down the Country and all of the huge volume of events organized by various groups to commemorate Tomas Mac Curtain were cancelled and subsequently never took place. 

This then put huge emphasis on what The Glen Boxing Club had archived as they honoured through this commemoration, The Boxing Club’s First President speaking at the ceremony the Lord Mayor John Sheehan, who is also a Blackpool man said: “To be present at such an event is a great honour, my own family originally came from Blackpool, and to be wearing the same Lord Mayor’s chain as Tomas Mac Curtain was wearing, really brought home to me the honour and significance of the role of Lord Mayor and the sacrifice Tomas Mac Curtain and his family made for our freedom."

Tomas Mac Curtain was very active around Blackpool and was also a great follower of Gaelic games as well as being a committee member with The St. Nick’s Club. 

As President of the Glen Boxing Club, it was Mac Curtain and the boxing committee who facilitate the foundation of the famed Glen Rover’s Hurling Club, by inviting them to hold their first meeting in the Boxing Club in Spring Lane. 

From there the Hurling Club held many meetings in their early years, hence the bond between both clubs is still very strong today well over 100 years later.

The granddaughter of Mac Curtain Fionnuala Mac Curtain then addressed the packed hall, she said she was proud of what her grandfather and Terence James Mac Swiney had archived, she added that she was honoured to be invited to the home of the oldest Boxing Club in Ireland, The Glen Boxing Club founded in 1916 the year of the Rising.

She continued: “I wish to thank very sincerely the organizers of tonight's event, it was so emotional and very special to me and my family,” and added “We the Mac Curtain Family would like to present the Glen Boxing Club with a cup named after your first President and hopefully you may consider organising a special Tomas Mac Curtain boxing tournament."

Those words were said on a great and historical night in The Glen Boxing Club over two and a half years ago, the spirit of that night now lives on. Next week under the chairmanship of Anthony Connolly, a special meeting of The Glen Boxing Club committee will convene to discuss the wish of Fionnuala Mac Curtain and organize a very Special Boxing Tournament worth of honouring the name of the Clubs First President.

With The Glen Boxing Club the sky is the limit, apart from being the oldest club in the Country they have a rich and historical heritage the great Packey O’Mahony was their first trainer, Gunner Murray was the first Corkman to win an Irish elite title and the Glen’s Jim Corbett was the first Corkman to represent Ireland in the European Championships. 

The Club also produced Mick Leahy the man who went on to box the best in the world and win the British Empire Middleweight Boxing Title.

The Club is widely admired throughout the Country and known to boxing followers throughout the world, even the Great Muhammad Ali was told about The Glen Boxing Club by Taoiseach Jack Lynch when he boxed in Ireland in 1978. 

Lynch himself was an honorary member of the Club.

In a further tribute to The Glen Boxing Club, the current Taoiseach Micheal Martin whose father boxed with the club, made his first official sporting engagement, following Covid 19 when he attended The Glen Boxing Club on 12Th December 2020. 

On that day he signed his name as Taoiseach on the canvas of the ring, ironically this was the first day the Club opened since the Mac Curtain commemoration night, on the 13th March nine month earlier.

It is envisaged that The Glen Boxing Club will make this as a big occasion for the Club, they will seek the support of the public and the business community and possibly invite Cork City Council to come on board. 

A white rose symbol of the new beginning was presented to Lord Mayor Tomas Mac Curtain on 30th January 1920 by Cumann na mBan. 

On 30th January 2020 Lord Mayor John Sheehan was presented with a white rose commemorating 1920, by a student from St. Angela’s College secondary school. 

Following this Cork City Council commemoration committee issued a beautiful lapel badge of the white rose commemorating the period 1920-1923, Tommy Kelleher the famed Glen Boxing Club coach was on a boxing trip to San Francisco recently and presented these badges to our Cork people abroad.