Tommy Kelleher, the legendary Glen Boxing Club coach is honoured by the Cork Indoors Sports

Tommy Kelleher, the legendary Glen Boxing Club coach was a proud recipient of the Cork Indoor Sports Boxing Award presented at their 60th Anniversary Dinner at the Metropole Hotel last Friday night.

This was a special occasion for Tommy as he was nominated for this award on two previous occasions and he declined in favour of others for various reasons.

In 2020 he was nominated again and finally accepted. 

However, due to Covid, the Award Ceremony that year was cancelled.

It did not take place either the following two years and only resumed this year, in time to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of its inception.

This year the Awards were sponsored by the Metropole Hotel and over 200 guests attended a ceremony which honoured sports people from fourteen indoor sports.

The Cork Indoor Sports Awards were established in 1963.

That year will long be remembered on Leeside. 

It was the year President John Fitzgerald Kennedy came to Cork. 

Mick Leahy the Former Glen Boxer won the British Middleweight Title, and the man from the Mardyke Noel Cantwell captained Manchester United to win the FA Cup.

The organisation was set up to give annual recognition to those involved in the participation and promotion of indoor sports.

It was envisaged that sports such as Basketball, Swimming, Boxing, etc. would be honoured at an Annual Awards Dinner. 

Over the years many sports were featured by the C.I.S.A. Cork Indoor Sports Awards Roll of Honour. 

The first Official Committee included President and Chairman Comdt. Michael Heffernan, Basketball, Vice Chairman Lester Johnson, Badminton, Secretary Dan Morrisey, Snooker, and Treasurer Neil Hurley, Table Tennis.

The C.I.S.A. organisation was established nearly ten years before Boxing took part in the Annual Celebration.

In 1972, Victor Aston and Dan O’Connell who were re organising Boxing in the City following a brief decline in the sport, registered Boxing with the Cork Indoor Sports Committee. 

Both men later went on to give outstanding service to C.I.S.A.

On Friday night last, the Awards to all recipients were presented by Dan O’Connell who proudly wore the President Chain of Office.

On such a magnificent and historic occasion as the 60Th Anniversary it was indeed fitting to see O’Connell preside as President on the night.

Dan O’Connell was an Officer of the C.I.S.A. Committee for over thirty years, that’s more than half the life time of the organisation. 

He was involved in two capacities over the years with Boxing and with the Special Olympics.

As a Treasurer he served for nineteen years, and followed as Chairman for the next six years, and after a quarter of a century of service he committed to a further six years when, with great distinction he served as President. 

Therefore, last Friday night Dan O’Connell most definitely was not a fish out of water.

This occasion at the Metropole Hotel was an illustrious moment for two great servants of Cork Boxing. 

It was both ironic and just that Dan O’Connell should make that long overdue presentation to Tom Kelleher. 

Tom was the third Glen Boxing man to receive the accolade. Anthony Connolly, the current Glen Chairman was honoured in 1984, and the quiet man of Cork Boxing and outstanding coach Bob O’Driscoll was honoured in 2008.

Prior to the presentation Tim O’Donovan Secretary of the Cork Indoor Sports Committee read the following citation: “Tommy and the Kelleher Family have been involved in Boxing for over sixty years. 

"His brothers Noel and John were both Irish Champions. Tom’s coaching career started in 1984 with Brian Dillons B.C., he then moved to Ballyvolane B.C. where he coached 25 Boxers to win National Titles. In 1987, that Club won Best Youth Club in Ireland, following an exhibition where Tommy coached four Boxers to win Irish Titles on the same day. 

"His success was quickly recognised by the IABA and he was appointed Head Coach to the Irish Gaelic Youths Team, who won 7 Gold Medals at the Ballina International Tournament. 

"In 1988, Tom was appointed Head Coach for an International in Canada returning with five Gold Medals. In 1989, Ballyvolane B.C. shared Best Club in Ireland following the return of three National Titles to the Club. 

"In 1989 also, Tommy was again acknowledged by the IABA and appointed as Coach to the Elite Team, who travelled to Moscow for the World Championships, where Michael Carruth returned with a Bronze Medal. 

"Eventually Tommy returned to the Glen Boxing Club where he had his first experience of Boxing as a ten year old in 1953.” 

Over the years Tommy has enjoyed many great Boxing days, including watching his son, Michael win five National Titles and Box for Ireland. 

In 2013, Tommy was honoured by the IABA in Dublin. In 2019, he received a civic reception in City Hall from Lord Mayor Cllr. Mick Finn where over two hundred guests attended.

In 2021, Tommy was presented with the ‘Cork Boxing Personality of the Year’ by the Lord Mayor Cllr. Joe Kavanagh and in 2022 he was inducted into the Cork Ex-Boxers Hall of Fame.

Last week Tommy completed the Grand Slam. He was accompanied by many members of his family, the Glen Boxing Club, the Cork County Board, the Ex-Boxers Association, and the Cork Boxing Fraternity Association.

It was a night of joy and elation for Cork Boxing as one of the Greatest Boxing Coaches in the Country was duly honoured at a venue situated on the Banks of the Lee.