The Cork boxing club of the year is presented with the Victor J Aston Cup in recognition of their outstanding contribution to promote boxing 

The promotion of amateur boxing continues to flourish in Cork, and last week saw much activity both inside and outside of the ring on Leeside.

Last Tuesday night, amidst a great sporting atmosphere in the Togher Boxing Club, former winning clubs of the Victor J. Aston Cup were presented with commemorative plaques to acknowledge their year of achievement. 

When sponsor and former President of the Cork County Board Dan O’Connell arrived, he was delighted to see the club, as a hive of boxing activity with numerous coaches and many boxers from four other clubs link up for some very competitive sparing sessions.

“What a magnificent site,” proclaimed a delighted O’Connell as he reflected back to his own time when he was president of the board. 

Those were at first, very dark and difficult days for boxing in the southern capital. 

However, that was Cork in the early seventies. 

Today the dark days are gone, and the emerging sun now continues to shine brightly on the thriving sport.

Each year since 2017, the Cork boxing club of the year was presented with the Victor J. Aston Cup in recognition of their outstanding contribution to promote and develop the sport during that year. 

The criteria for selection has many aspects and this provides the club with an opportunity to display not only their results, but also their organisational skills during that year.

The late Victor Aston and Dan O’Connell worked tirelessly together, to promote a proud sport, after it went into decline in Cork in the early seventies. 

They applied all of their organisational skills to lift the sport, and they valiantly succeeded in their quest.

It is very appropriate therefore that this magnificent perpetual cup, which invites clubs to raise their standards, should be presented now, by one of these two men, in honour of the other.

All winning clubs have now been presented with their respective plaques, which also bears a magnificent photo of the cup, and includes their year of winning this trophy. 

Last week in Togher representatives from three clubs were present, as seen in main picture on this page. 

The respective club winners were 2022: Togher BC, 2023: Golden Gloves BC and 2024: De Coursey BC. 

The President of the County Board Michael O’Brien congratulated all clubs and thanked Dan O’Connell for his continuous sponsorship.

Last weekend the Munster Championships in the 4, 5, 6 grades continued. 

It was a magnificent weekend for Cork boxers and the county now boasts many new provincial winners. 

The organisation of this two-day event was first class, and all results in a two page championship special will be published in The Echo on Tuesday, 18th March.

Next weekend, Saturday, March 1st and Sunday 2nd, this year’s Cork County Boxing Championships will be concluded, when the boys and girls 1, 2 and 3 categories are contested. 

These championships will draw big crowds and all county board by laws will apply in respect of admission ages. 

All clubs should contact the board secretary if in any doubt about restrictions.

Following these championships, the top boxer will be presented with the Maurice Walsh Cup. 

This cup perpetuates the memory of a truly remarkable boxing man from the St Colman's Club. 

Maurice Walsh was a man much loved respected and appreciated by boxing people throughout the island of Ireland.

His dedication was immense, and his honesty and sense of purpose was always prefaced in doing the right thing at the right time. 

Over a forty-two year period, Maurice left a rich legacy of memories to his club and Cork boxing. 

Now the Cork County Board have acknowledged this and the Maurice Walsh Perpetual Cup will become an annual chess nut, at the Cork County Boxing Championships. 

A member of the Walsh family will make the presentation.

The supreme club of this year's county championships with the greatest county medal success rate will for the first year be presented with the magnificent Mannix Shield. 

This will be presented to the winning club, by the sponsor Mr Conal Thomas, President of the Cork Boxing Fraternity Association.

Meanwhile, all in Cork boxing wish to pay tribute to the late Dan Wallace, the former Lord Mayor of Cork and Minister for State. 

Dan was in the City Hall for the great night which featured both boxing and a concert to commemorate the centenary of the death of Tomas Mac Curtain. 

At his funeral mass Micheál Martin aptly described Dan’s great contribution to the people of the northside, and Cork in general.

Dan was a great supporter of the promotion of boxing. 

During his year as Lord Mayor in 1985 he received many boxing deputations. 

He followed the careers of the Joyce brothers enthusiastically, he was a great reader of the boxing page, and worked closely with the late Bernard Allen to secure many grants for Cork boxing clubs.

To those who knew him Danny Wallace was known ‘as the salt of the earth’. 

However, he also left an indelible mark in helping to make people’s lives better. 

Dan Wallace was warmly described by fellow northsider and former President of the Cork County Board, Dan O’Connell, as “truly one of our own”.

May he rest in peace.