Christina Desmond is the queen of Cork boxing

WOMEN in sport have finally, and with great justification, captured the imagination of the Irish sporting public over the last 12 years. 

In 2012, at the London Olympics, Katie Taylor realised her lifetime ambition and victoriously returned to Bray as an Olympic boxing champion.

Overnight she completely changed the mindset and landscape of every female athlete in the country. 

Suddenly dreams and possibilities were changed to realistic ambition and winning aspirations. 

The message to all was now clear; it could be done: it had been done and now the female sporting manifesto was to go out with confidence to compete and achieve, the template was now in place.

Against such a background Christina Desmond, a native of Cill na Matra, and who boxed with the local Macroom boxing club, was about to set out on a sporting journey which saw her success record eclipse all previous Cork boxers to earn for her the proud mantle of Cork’s most proficient boxer of all time. 

In 2013 she had won a massive ten All-Ireland titles. Now a junior international, she represented Ireland on a number of occasions. 

Her coaches in the local club were Tom Power and John Casey. 

During that year, she was selected as the Cork boxer of the year and was presented with the Mick Leahy Cup. In addition to that acclamation, she was selected to represent Ireland at the World Youth Boxing championships, which were taking place in Albena, Bulgaria.

Following some outstanding displays Christina qualified for the world welterweight 69kgs final. 

This was a fantastic achievement and her success drew much admired and widespread attention. 

In the final Christina boxed out of her skin, and in the opinion of many neutrals did more than enough to get the decision. However following a long delay by the judges she was deprived on a 3-2 split decision. 

Her opponent Gaomhar Ermekbay of Kazakhstan took the Gold and Desmond returned to Ireland a proud world silver medalist.

A month later, she was invited to a reception in the City Hall by the Lord Mayor Cllr Catherine Clancy. She was accompanied by her family and members of the Cork Boxing Board who were launching the Lagen to Lee Boxing Tournament. 

This was a match between Cork’s best and Belfast’s finest. It was over thirty years since these cities last clashed in competitive boxing. Christina was wearing her world silver medal. 

This was a very difficult time for the Desmonds as Christina’s mother was buried only two weeks prior. However, with great dignity, the family responded and Christina confirmed as a tribute to her late mum that she would be competing as part of the Cork team. 

This typified the strength and resilience of the young Cork athlete. On the day Lord Mayor Catherine Clancy warmly acknowledged her magnificent achievement and commitment to her sport.

In 2014, Christina won a further national junior title, and was named on the Irish team to travel to Nanzing in China to participate in the Youth Olympics. 

This was a great honour for Christina. Her coach Tom Power, who was doing a great job in helping the young boxer to reach her full potential. It was also very good for other boxers in the Macroom club. 

This appearance by Desmond at the Junior Olympics also gave great encouragement to all female boxers in all other Cork clubs.

At the games, Christina acquitted herself with distinction. On her return she presented the Cork Board Pro with a souvenir and recently he presented that to the Glen Boxing Club for display at their new museum, which will be officially opened later this year.

2014 also marked the centenary of the establishment of the Cork county boxing board. It was also the year that the Paddy Martin Cup was launched. 

This was specifically named of the champion of the champion cup, where the winner each year would be selected from all national winners from that season. The first presentation of the cup was made at the Board’s centenary dinner in the Monetnotte Hotel. 

The presentation was made by Micheal Martin and Christina Desmond was the first recipient.

Later that year, the Cork ex-Boxers Association held a spectacular day of music and presentations in Bishop Lucey Park. 

The event was covered by TG4 Television and Micheal Martin and Christina Desmond gave live interviews to the station as gaeilge, while the Butter Exchange Band played ‘The Banks’ as 100 red and white balloons were released.

During that event the Jack McCauliffe Gold Medals were presented to all of Cork’s All Ireland Winners. The chairman of the Cork ex-boxers Association Ceba, JJ Murphy made the presentation with Christina Desmond being the first recipient of the prestigious medal. 

Jack McAuliffe’s father Con worked as a cooper with the Beamish and Crawford Brewery prior to the family’s departure to the United States. Now, following the former mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh promoting the medal in America, Heineken, the owners of Beamish and Crawford’s products are currently considering sponsoring the medals from next year.

In the same year, 2014, Desmond now known as the Queen of Cork Boxing was also presented with the Cork Indoor Sports Boxing Award. 

The following year Macroom Boxing Club lost their base in the town and club became defunct. Christina and Tom Power moved to the Fr Horgan’s Boxing Club. From here, Christina entered and won the senior championship and later in the year for the first time participated in the elite championships and was successful the same year claiming her first elite title in 2015. 

This was the first elite title to come to Cork since Dr Eanna Falvey St Colman’s Boxing Club took a title in 2002.

To celebrate Christina’s success, she received a special award at a boxing breakfast in Clancy’s restaurant. 

She was accompanied by members of her family and assistant coach, Micky Power; the deputy Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mick Nugent made the presentation as the Cork Boxing family celebrated and toasted Christina’s elite championship victory.

The National Success enjoyed by the Cill na Marta Athlete was having a big bearing on Leesides Female Boxers. 

The number of young girls taking up boxing was Phenomenal at local level and much of this was attributed to Christina. 

On Facebook, she has a huge following and with Katie Taylor going well as Pro, Kellie Harrington was doing the business with the National Team on the Olympic Stage but in Cork, the top local female athletes were and still are very influenced by Christine Desmond.

Without speculating too deeply there are ten Cork Boxers with serious potential and this is excluding European Medalists. Lauren Crinnion and Katie O Keeffe who is the holder of Three European medals.

Katie O Keefe is a record holder independently having won three European juvenile medals and she still looks up to Christine for encouragement. Always seeking nuggets of advice and direction. 

In this respect Desmond has always been available to suggest and guide. She mixes very frequently with Cork Boxers during Championship at the National Stadium and is always there to assist boxers and clubs by picking up medals on behalf of boxers who may have received a walkover through injury to an opponent etc. 

Primarily Christina is an amateur Boxer always working to a high performance Training Schedule. She is a member of an Garda and relies on her colleagues and superiors to facilitate a very demanding agenda. 

However, she fully realizes that one’s time in sport is fleeting and ones careers must be respected and protected.

She is a model of consistency and an outstanding ambassador for the sport. 

She is the only female boxer on the Cork Boxing Wall of Fame; on the 12th December 2020 Christina was presented with the Paddy the champ Martin Cup for the Second time the only Cork Boxer to do so. 

The presentation was organized by the Cork ex Boxers Association and took place in the Glen Boxing Club. The cup was presented to Christina by an Taoiseach Micheal Martin. 

This was a special occasion as it was during Covid Times with all regulation being fully adhered too. This was the first visit by the Taoiseach Micheal Martin to any sports club in Ireland and it was an occasion which for Christine was a very proud moment in her career but no one doubted she as worthy recipient. 

On that day Micheal Martin autographed the canvass in the ring of Irelands oldest boxing club.

In 2022 Desmond was the only female boxer among five athletes to be presented with a Golden Glove during presentations at the Cork Ex-Boxers Golden Jubilee Dinner. Christina Desmond has won two gold medals at very prestigious tournaments on the International circuit in recent months. This only serves to compliment a glittering career of multiple under age Junior Senior and College all Ireland Titles.

Allied to this, in the upper echelons of Premier Boxing, Christina has won six elite national titles; equally, she has magnificently embraced the international arena, and returned in triumph from the European Elite Championships as a dual medalist. 

Desmond won bronze in 2016 and silver in 2022, these performances have unanimously confirmed her status as Cork’s most accomplished amateur boxer.

Christina Desmond has blazed a trail and is an example to all in the world of Cork Boxing. 

In a county which has produced some of the greatest Female sports starts in athletics’, Ladies football, Soccer Basketball Camogie etc over the last twenty years only one athlete has won the Echo Sports Supreme Female Athlete of the year on a history making two occasions this honor. 

This honour exclusively belongs to Christina Desmond, The Queen of Cork Boxing.