Sunnyside Boxing tournament to showcase the best of local and national talent

ON Saturday next, Sunnyside Boxing Club will host a very competitive boxing tournament at the St Vincent’s GAA complex commencing at 4pm.

Sunnyside Boxing Club has been in existence since 1927. 

This illustrious club is an institution in Irish boxing folklore, and are now laying plans to celebrate their centenary in three year's time.

Next Saturday’s tournament has been well organised by the club. 

Boxers from Cork, in addition to top athletes from around the country will participate. 

The bouts from underage right up to senior and elite have been well matched. 

This will ensure many great contests and provide an evening of great boxing for all followers of the sport.

Over the years, thousands of youngsters have boxed with the club. 

The response to the boxing page on The Echo every Thursday confirms this. 

This weekend many former Sunnyside boxers will have an opportunity to once again support the club by attending this tournament. 

The occasion will also provide an opportunity for many to see Mike McCallick, a great future prospect for Sunnyside in a heavyweight contest. Clubs from around the country taking part include boxers from the long established St Francis Club in Limerick, and Crumlin BC, that famous bastion of Dublin boxing. 

The Club from the capital is coached by the iconic Double Olympian Phil Suttcliffe. 

The arrival of these clubs at the Sunnyside tournament reflect the respect and high esteem in which the Cork club is held, by all clubs throughout the island of Ireland.

Today, Sunnyside BC is led by their President, Cork’s Boxer of the Century, Kieran Joyce. 

However, it’s their head coach Gordon Joyce, who is putting in long hours to once again develop the club into a major force in Irish Amateur Boxing.

Gordon’s effort are well supported through the remarkable work of great committee men, Shane Long, Mick Nagle, and club cecretary Mark Burleigh.

This is once again an Olympic year, and Sunnyside has produced great Olympians in Kieran Joyce, Paul Buttimer and Michael Roche. 

Frank O’Sullivan was also a champion Sunnyside boxer before he established the famous Birmingham ABC. 

Now, the focus is on the future of the club. 

The call has now gone out around the Leeside boxing terrain, that Sunnyside mean business and the time has come to make Sunnyside great again.

Meanwhile, on Saturday last, Anthony Connolly, the Chairman of the Glen Boxing Club, was interviewed on Cork City Community Radio. 

This is the only community station operating in the southern capital and provides a great opportunity for those residing in the region to tune into local issue and events, which are taking place in the city.

Connolly, was pleasantly interviewed by Chris O’Leary on the Saturday Morning Prime Time Show. 

Anthony Connolly spoke about his life in boxing and on how he got involved in the sport. 

He gave a broad outline on the history of the Glen Boxing Club. 

Asked about his role as chairman of the club he said: “I work with a very good coaching staff and committee.

“We are very conscious that we are the oldest boxing club in Ireland and we are very proud of this.

"However, we like to set standards all the time."

The Glen Boxing Club are now embarking on another new project.

They are opening a museum, which will charter the history of Cork Boxing for over one hundred and fifty years. 

Connolly outlined many of the items and memorabilia pieces, which will go on display. 

The museum, which will be named after the club’s first President, Tomas MacCurtain, will be officially opened by the Tánaiste Micheál Martin on Saturday 20th April. 

The Glen chairman gave a great insight into many of the developments within the club over the years in addition to a summary of the success enjoyed by many Cork boxers. 

This interview also included an opportunity for Anthony to select a few tunes, and on this occasion the Blackpool man appropriately selected, Eye of the Tiger and The Contender. 

Overall, it was a delightful piece of weekend listening on Cork City Community Radio on 100.5 FM.

Last week proved to be a week of mixed fortunes for Cork’s young boxers. 

Following a very high standard at the Cork County Championships, the feeling on Leeside was quietly confidant of converting county championship glory into national success. 

For the male and female athletes it was a great achievement to reach the National Stadium. 

The President of the Cork County Board congratulated all Cork boxers, and while some have to wait a little longer, for others, their day come at last week’s sessions of the National Underage Championships. 

Leeside boxing continues to flourish and the following boxers now enjoy the mantle of winning an All-Ireland boxing title.

Dan Fitzgerald, Mayfield BC, Michael Kiely, Glen BC, Wiktoria Lzdebska, Northside BC, Holly Dineen, and Abbey Murray, Muskerry BC, Keelan O’Flynn, St Colman's BC, Claire Crowley, St Martha's BC and William Heaphy, Golden Gloves BC were all crowned champions.

The outstanding achievements of these boxers will be celebrated at a Cork Boxing Breakfast, where they will also be presented with their Jack McAuliffe Gold Medals in due course.