Sunnyside Boxing Club has been a huge part of the Cork boxing success story

Sunnyside Boxing Club, the Olympic Pride of Cork Boxing, are the undisputed trail blazers as Leeside prepares to celebrate 100 Years of Irish participation at the World’s Greatest Sporting Extravaganza, which began for Cork boxers in Paris in 1924.

At 12 noon on Monday 1st January next, Tom Kelleher former International Elite coach will raise the Olympic Flag. 

This event will take place, fittingly on the grounds of Ireland oldest amateur Boxing Club the Glen Boxing Club.

Both the Glen B.C. and Sunnyside B.C. between them have now well over 200 years of service given to the promotion of boxing on the Northside of Cork.

When the Glen B.C. completed their Centenary year of celebration in 2016, the last event was a big Tournament at the Commons Inn. Prior to the final bell of the evening Tom Kelleher entered the ring to bring the curtain down on a great year of celebration. 

He was joined by Gordon Joyce of Sunnyside B.C. the youngest man ever to win an Irish Elite Title. 

As both men stood in the centre of the ring, Tom Kelleher ignited a flame representing the Olympic Spirit, it signalled the end of the Glen’s great Centenary events, and he then passed it to Gordon Joyce to acknowledge Sunnyside’s foundation in 1927.

As Sunnyside B.C. prepared to begin a great year of festivities, to mark their 90th Anniversary.

This was a moment of boxing magic for both Clubs as the huge attendance gave a prolonged standing ovation to both Clubs.

Since the formation of the Club some ninety-seven years ago, Sunnyside Boxing Club have made a very successful impact on the Irish boxing landscape. 

The Club has always been associated with the Fair Hill area of the City, but has operated out of a number of training bases over the years.

Like all sporting clubs, from time to time, the Club has ebbed and flowed. 

From its formation in 1927, the Club recruited many boxers from the Blarney Street C.B.S. School. 

In 1946, Tommy Hyde won an Irish Elite Title for the Club, and this milestone laid the foundation for the future of the outfit. 

Sunnyside B.C. won many juvenile Titles and were always a dominant force in Cork boxing, producing great local pound for pound boxers such as ‘The lion hearted Sean Coughlan.

However, when the late great coach Albie Murphy took the reins at the Club in the mid-seventies, the Club’s success flourished at all levels. 

The Sunnyside B.C. man had great ideas for the sport, and the Club. 

Albie was also President of the County Board and exercised great influence amongst the IABA in Dublin.

Sunnyside Boxing Club then entered a new era, from 1978 to the turn of the century, twenty two years later, the Club won an astonishing twenty Elite Titles, courtesy of Neilly Dunne, followed by Kieran Joyce with six Titles, Michael Roche five, Paul Buttimer four and Gordon Joyce four Titles.

The outstanding National Elite success achieved by the Club also saw the dawn of the Olympic dream for three of the Club’s boxers.

Kieran Joyce, who was the only Cork boxer to win a European Elite Championship Medal in 1983, was selected to represent Ireland at the Olympic in Los Angeles in 1984.

Unluckily through a split decision, Kieran narrowly lost out on an Olympic Bronze Medal.

For the next four years, Kieran Joyce dominated at National and International levels. 

Whenever he entered the ring at the national Stadium according to Dublin boxing observer Fran Long, the crowd went wild, Joyce was a big draw in the Capital and the crowd loved him.

In 1988, Joyce was again selected for the Olympics in Seoul. Again, faith denied the Sunnyside boxer of an Olympic medal through another split decision. 

Four years later Sunnyside B.C. had another Olympic boxer; this time Paul Buttimer had the distinction of representing the Club, however, after a Lion hearted display Buttimer lost out to a Nigerian.

It would be eight years before the Club would see another of its boxers at the Olympics. 

This was in Sidney in 2000. 

In the meantime, Albie Murphy had passed away and now the retired Kieran Joyce was the Head Coach at the illustrious Club.

Michael Roche despite a game performance that was in his own opinion “bitterly disappointed with the bout”, however, the history book will recall he was another Olympic Ambassador for the great Sunnyside Club.

It is said that sporting history is written in the stars.

In 2014, the Cork County Boxing Board celebrated its Centenary. 

At a sold out Dinner Dance in the Montenotte Hotel, the high light of the night was the announcement of the Cork Boxer of the Century. Only two people at the function knew who the recipient was. 

The M.C. Echo Sport Editor John Mc Hale called order and to the beat of a drum roll, amidst a hushed audience the name of Kieran Joyce was proclaimed to receive the prestigious honour duly named after his coach Albie Murphy.

As Kieran Joyce was presented with this unique accolade, the M.C. inwardly reflected on growing up in Farranree, across the road from the Joyce brothers, McHale subsequently wrote a delightful article.

In a wide-ranging piece, he chronicled in detail the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of the Joyce brothers and wrote, “They were Cork Champions, Munster Champions and Irish Champions.

"They were boxing for their Country all over Europe and the World”, and he continued, “Boxing gave them confidence, discipline, respect and an education on how life treats you”, but they were boxers, but no ordinary boxers, they boxed for the Sunnyside Boxing Club."

Today, Cork Boxing salutes a great Club and their remarkable contribution to the Cork Olympic Boxing story.