Community Games played a pivotal role in the survival and development of Cork Boxing

JUST over fifty years ago, the formation of the Cork Community Games helped in the survival of Cork Boxing. 

For the first and only time in its history, Cork Boxing had gone into decline, and its future looked bleak.

This was the early 1970’s and for a multitude of reasons, the sport in Cork was relying on the existence of just a few clubs.

On the surface, there were ripples, of activity, but sadly also the sporting undertaker was on standby. 

The Fr Horgan's Club was operating out of the Parochial Hall, and Collins Boxing Club in the Barracks continued to fly the flag.

However, the engine room of Cork Boxing was silent. 

The Glen had lost their premises in Spring Lane, and the Boxing Tourists Sunnyside BC had lost their Club and were attempting to relocate.

Meanwhile, the Cork Ex-Boxers were setting up, but they were not affiliated to the now sparse Cork County Boxing Board, and they had a different set of ideals at that time.

Nationwide the Community Games Movement like a Little Munster seed was planted. 

It was marketed as a mini Olympic Games. Its primary purpose was to have parish participation.

Each County would run its own games and each of the discipline winner from their respective sport would go forward to the National Finals, which would take place with an Olympic village setting at Mosney every year.

All sports would be catered for, and it was up to the County Community Games Committee to organize their own competitions and Championships. 

The entire concept was warmly embraced in Cork and was well supported by most sports. 

The principal Parish versus Parish was most appealing and many of the top names in all sports got involved from the beginning.

The first Cork Community Games Committee included Chairman John Kelly, Vice-Chairman Paddy Curran, Secretary Mrs. Kidney, Treasurer Fr. Liam Kelleher, Pro Mick O’Brien, Registrar John O’Mahony, medal sponsor General Manager CMP Dairies Derry O’Driscoll.

The competitive sports included Gaelic Football, Athletics, Soccer, Basketball, Table Tennis, Hurling, Hockey, Rugby and Boxing. 

This was the sport, which if organised properly had most to gain. 

The hardworking Community Games Committee met weekly for over six months, these meetings took place in a large room over Keane's Jewellery shop on Oliver Plunket Street. 

Each Parish and every sport were entitled to send a delegate and these meetings were extremely well attended.

Two Officers from the Boxing Fraternity immediately relished the gold plated opportunity to get very actively involved. 

The Cork Community Games Committee were encouraging schools to assist local Parish Committees and this gave great credence and stability to the games.

Dan O’Connell and Victor Aston were army men and were Secretary and President of the County Board respectively. 

O’Connell was also Secretary of Fr Horgan's BC Both men aligned themselves with the Cork Community Games CCC and set about encouraging boxing in the Parishes they both saw this work as laying a foundation to establish a permanent Boxing Club in the Parish when the Official Community Games were over.

This plan worked with exert precision and timing and clubs were springing up in both the City and County. 

These included clubs who went on to enjoy great success and included South Parish Ballyphehane, Togher, Cobh, Bandon, South Parish, Blarney, Bantry etc.

The illustrious Fr Horgan whom the famed Northside Club is called after since their formation in 1959, was also a great assistance in the setting up of Boxing clubs in Ballinlough and Bantry.

In the aftermath of the Community Games Paddy Mc Sweeney of the Ballinlough Parish won an All-Ireland Community Games Title, he went on to join the newly formed Ballinlough Club.

Mc Sweeney enjoyed a very successful career as a Boxer winning many Titles at County Munster and National levels.

Only recently, he reflected on his first Cork Community Games Medal.

Today Paddy is Chairman and head coach at the Spartan Boxing Club in Turner's Cross.

He was also President of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association during their Golden Jubilee year. 

Paddy was also a member of a Cork Boxing delegation who were invited to Aras an Uachtarain to visit President Michael D. Higgins.

The innovation of the Community Games in the early seventies was a timely and very fortunate opportunity afforded to Cork Boxing.

Equally, both Victor Aston and Dan O’Connell must be acknowledged and congratulated on seizing the opportunity to put Cork Boxing back in its rightful place, as a proud and successful organisation with a great tradition.

While the Community Games was seen as a mini Olympics, it helped to create an opportunity many years later, for Kieran Joyce, Paul Buttimer and Michael Roche to take part as Cork Olympians in the Greatest Show in earth.