Recently, the first phase of the 2023 Cork County Boxing Championships was completed. 

On Monday last in The Echo, a two page pictorial special and report, on this year’s boy and girl category 4, 5 and 6 was published.

In 2018, the Cork County Board launched a unique and specifically designed County Boxing Championship Medal. 

The thinking behind this, was to present the County Champion with a medal of significance. 

The Cork medal now displays many of Cork’s iconic buildings and illustrates an athlete embracing victory, placing a cherished sporting value on the medal, which will stand the test of time, and enhance personal pride on reflecting on such an occasion many years from now.

A new certificate was also introduced with the wording in both Irish and English recording the occasion in great detail, and congratulating the athlete on becoming in their categories a Cork County Boxing Champion. 

In recent years the Cork Board has been proactive in providing for boxers who participate in the sport in the Cork region. 

In Bishop Lucey Park a plaque was unveiled in 2019 recording the names of ten young Cork boxers both male and female who represented Cork and Ireland at the World and European Championships winning gold, silver and bronze medals. 

This plaque takes pride in the success achieved by these boxers and provides encouragement to many other young boxers who would like to emulate the success of these young Leeside Boxing trail blazers.

In recent years it has also been the policy of the Board to acknowledge any young boxer who has been selected to represent Ireland. 

The Cork Board is the only Board in the Country to do this. One of the pics on this page features three International boxers, Leanne Murphy, Katie O’Keeffe and Saoirse Morrissey. 

Each of these boxers was presented with an International Pennant. Leanne Murphy had the distinction of also captaining her Country, Katie O’Keeffe won a record three European Championship medals and Saoirse Morrissey had the honour of being the Boxing Ambassador at the Cork Memorabilia exhibition at the Cork City Library. 

These young ladies were presented with their Pennants by the then President Michael O’Brien.

Another picture on this page shows that great servant of Riverstown B.C., and Cork Boxing Mick Davane being presented with a first edition, Honourary County Boxing Championship medal, by Aine Mc Loughlin. 

Mick gave outstanding service to Club and County and it is hoped that he will attend as a special guest in the City Hall on Thursday 23th March, at the Tomas Mac Curtain Commemoration Concert and Boxing Extravaganza promoted by the Glen Boxing Club in association with Cork City Council. The patron is the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Deidre Forde, and the indications are promising that the occasion will be graced through the attendance of his excellency the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins.

Another guest who will be in the City Hall on the night is the Former Lord Mayor and Minister for Sport Bernard Allen. 

Bernard is seen here at Bishopstown Boxing Club with Paul Buttimer. Paul was an Irish Elite Champion with Sunnyside B.C. on four occasion and an Olympian in 1992. 

Paul has given a lifetime of service to coaching young boxers, and was honoured at a Cork Boxing Breakfast in 2017 to mark the 25th anniversary of his Olympic selection for Ireland. 

Meanwhile during his term as Minister for Sport Bernard Allen did an outstanding job in facilitating grants to many Cork Clubs in all sports. 

Equally as a member of the Sport Council in recent years he was very helpful to the Executive Committee of the Cork Boxing Board.

Meanwhile the death took place recently of Dan Monahan affectionately known as ‘Rinty’, this nick name was bestowed upon him as he was a great admirer of the famous Belfast boxer who was a World Champion. 

In fact, Rinty Monahan from Belfast was a guest of honour at a Cork Ex-Boxers Association dinner dance in the Sunset Ridge in 1978. 

A famous photo of himself and the then Taoiseach Jack Lynch both sparing with gloves on, appeared in the Cork Examiner. 

The late Dan Monahan boxed with the Fr.Horgans B.C. in the early sixties. He was encouraged to take up boxing by Connie Morrissey. 

He won 3 County Championships and two Munster titles. He had some great spars with Connie Cashman and Bull’s eye Buckley from Spangle Hill who emigrated to Boston.

Dan Monahan had great potential and was fearless in the ring. His most famous fight was against Olympian and eight times Irish Champion Mick Dowling at a packed City Hall, where Dowling got the decision following a very close bout. 

Dan emigrated to Birmingham many years ago and he will be buried there on Monday next 20th February. 

He was a close friend of Dan Vaughan from Gurranabraher who died last year and who was a prominent coach with Birmingham City B.C. Frank O’Sullivan O.B.E. and Birmingham B.C. will represent Cork Boxing at the funeral.

Also the sympathy of the Cork County Board and the Cork Ex-Boxers Association has been extended to Paul and the Buttimer Family following the death of John Buttimer, Paul’s father. 

May he rest in Peace.