Cork Ex-Boxers Association is set for relaunch as it looks to increase membership

Next month, the Cork Ex-Boxers Association will launch a new campaign to broaden its horizons to expand the organisation and to increase its membership.

This association is now in existence 53 years, having been founded in 1972. 

The original concept of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association was set up to create finance, through organising events to support former boxers who had fallen on hard times. 

Over the intervening years the format changed and the association known as CEBA diversified their work and eventually played a very big role in the advancement of amateur boxing in the city and county of Cork.

Twelve years ago, both the charter and the image of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association changed dramatically. 

CEBA re-grouped and also changed its attire. 

Moving from the traditional green blazer, the association changed to blue, and complemented this colour with a beautiful yellow and white crest featuring the year in which the CEBA was established. 

The blazer was further enhanced through the provision of a newly designed CEBA tie.

From that year on the regular monthly meeting often became weekly as the association was fully focused on organising events in various boxing clubs throughout the city and county and by providing a colour-party guard of honour at the funerals of all former boxers. 

This link resonated warmly with the families of the deceased and was very much appreciated on sad occasions.

The work undertaken by the CEBA is completely independent of the Cork County Boxing Board and serves only to support and endorse the promotion of boxing.

Since the rebranding of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association, JJ Murphy has been chairman and he has led a very hard working committee, who have made a significant impact on the Leeside boxing landscape.

Speaking about next month's campaign J.J. Murphy said this.

“In recent years we have lost many of our staunch members, and these guys loved being involved in our association, now we need to strengthen our organisation once again, and our new drive will be focused on inviting former boxers to join the group, to substantially increase our membership once again."

Today, the initiative to promote the sport by the CEBA varies from one event to the next. 

The opening of the re-vamped Bishop Lucey Park next September will be a big day for the association. 

On that day, a new Boxing Wall in the park will be unveiled. 

The wall will display all the plaques, which were part of the old wall. 

These plaques honour the great achievements of many of Cork’s outstanding boxers going back well over one hundred years. 

The idea of erecting these plaques on the wall was introduced by CEBA many years ago. 

Year by year additional plaques were erected in the park. 

These took place at a very colourful ceremony which was always attended by the Lord Mayor of Cork, civic leaders, the general sporting public, the Butter Exchange Band, and most important of all, by many young boxers from all clubs, wearing their club tracksuits.

“This work must continue and we owe it to former members who are now deceased, to ensure that the legacy they helped to create will continue to expand."

Don Murray is still a prominent member of CEBA. 

Ten years ago, Don joined the association. 

He said it was one of the best sporting things he ever did. 

In 1962, Don made history by winning the Irish junior and senior national heavyweight titles. 

He was the first Cork boxer to appear on TV that year, as the championships were covered live by RTE, in black and white only.

Following his retirement from boxing Don drifted away from the sport; however, many years later he came back to join the Ex-Boxer Association and is now thoroughly enjoying his involvement. 

Last year in the presence of the Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and at the opening of the new Tomas MacCurtain Boxing Museum at the Glen Boxing Club, Don Murray had the honour to present gold nedals to the six Cork adult boxers, who brought national glory to the southern capital. 

At that event Don said: “This was a great honour for me and would not have happened if I had not been a member of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association."

Meanwhile, the Muskerry Boxing Club based in Ballincollig is continuing to produce All-Ireland champions. 

The club is now in existence around ten years and has filled a great boxing void, which would have existed following the demise of the now defunct Ballincollig Boxing Club.

Recently, at the National Stadium, while continuing to embellish Cork boxing, Abby Murray returned to Ballincollig in glory having been crowned as Junior 1 All-Ireland champion. 

This was a great achievement for young Abby as she won a national title last year and she is now a back-to-back double champion.

Her coaches were her father Tom Murray, the very experienced coach, who often works with the IABA at national level and Mike McGrath, a man who displays great energy and enthusiasm constantly driving and encouraging young boxers with the Muskerry BC.

Last year this club won three All-Ireland titles. 

This club continues to flourish and will be featured in a club profile which will be published on the Thursday boxing page in the coming weeks.