The history of Cork boxing looks set to be shown on our screens next year

THE history of Cork Boxing may feature in a one-hour television documentary to be shown next year.

It would be televised as part of Cork Boxer’s participation in the Olympics over one hundred years volumes of material has been made available to the producers, and numerous celebs in the world of Cork sport have indicated their delight to participate in such a program.

Despite occasional peaks and valley over the years, the sport has always had widespread appeal. 

Leeside boxing has produced some great clubs, who in turn have turned out great champions’ generation after generation.

Around 1900, boxing had strongholds in Blackpool, Mallow, Bandon and Cobh. 

The household names of that era included Jimmy Browne, Jack Stout, Tommy Doyle and Napper McGrath. 

The boxing landscape changed again in 1912 with the arrival of Pakey O’Mahony and Legsy O’Sullivan. Both went on to become heavyweight champions of Ireland.

Pakey went on to fight for the British title, but was beaten by Billy Wells after a very plucky display. 

His performance was admired and acknowledged however by the people of Cork, who presented him with a very expensive silver belt, replicating the British title belt.

In 1911, the Irish Amateur Boxing Association was founded. 

Three years later, the Cork County Boxing Board was established, and when the Glen Boxing Club was set up in 1916, few knew then that it would go on to become an institution in Irish boxing folklore, and proudly stands today as Ireland’s oldest club.

Amateur boxing ebbed and flowed in the 1920s, with clubs coming and going. 

The standout name was of course, Willie ‘Boy’ Murphy, who boxed with the army and the Garda club, and represented Ireland at the Olympics in Paris and Amsterdam.

In 1927, Sunnyside B.C. was founded and went on to become Cork’s most successful club. 

Boxing continued to flourish in the ‘30s, and Fermoy Boxing Club became great stalwarts of the sport, and provided many administrators as well. 

Mallow was also blooming, and that club went on to produce the Buckley brothers, who were revered throughout the country.

Ireland became the envy of the boxing world when the IABA opened the first-purpose built boxing stadium in 1939 to host the European Championships.

The sport was very popular in the ‘40s, with huge tournaments taking place in City Hall. 

There was many a night when the crowd outside the door who failed to gain admission was as big as the full house inside. 

In 1946 and 1947, two senior titles came to Cork. Jimmy ‘Gunner’ Murray brought glory to the Glen, and the great Tommy Hyde put Sunnyside on the map.

In 1948, Timmy O’Sullivan, boxing out of the CCNBS club, qualified to represent Ireland at the London Olympics, but sporting politics raised its ugly head, and Tim did not travel to the games. 

The IABA subsequently acknowledged their injustice, and presented Tim with a medal depicting the Spirit of the Olympics.

1948 was an outstanding year for Glen boxer Ernie Keeffe. He was on the first Irish rugby team to win the grand slam, and two weeks later boxed for Ireland against England in the National Stadium. 

Terry Moore was the other Irish rugby international to box with the Glen.

The 1950s saw the City Hall rock, thanks to great nights organised by John Birmingham, a man ahead of his time, who later became Lord Mayor of Cork. He was also Secretary of the Glen B.C., and Secretary of the Country Board.

One of the most memorable nights at City Hall was when Paddy Martin of the Glen beat Joe Bygraves from Jamaica.

In 1960, Paddy Kenny of the CCNBS club represented Ireland at the Rome Olympics, while in 1961, the first team to represent Cork defeated Dublin at the Parochial Hall to win the Inter City cup. 

This team included Finbarr O’Leary, Paddy Gough, Tony Arnold, and many other great Leeside boxers.

The 70s saw the sport go into decline, but it was re-organised through the great work of Victor Aston and Dan O’Connell, as well as Billy O’Donovans, who gave 40 years of service, to Cork boxing.

Then came the golden age of Cork boxing. 

Albie Murphy lit up the boxing arenas of Ireland, and coached great Sunnyside boxers Kieran Joyce, John Morrissey, Paul Buttimer, Neilie Dunne, Gordon Joyce, and Michael Roche to win a staggering 20 elite national titles. 

Under his guidance, the club produced three Olympians – Kieran Joyce, Paul Buttimer and culminating with Michael Roche in Sidney in 2000, to close a glorious chapter in this brief look at a century of Cork boxing.

These are the great and magnificent achievements from Cork boxers who were members of great clubs.

The story of Cork Boxing as a documentary is long overdue, and the Cork sporting public would take pride in recalling the glory days and the magic of boxing on Leeside.