Lord Mayor to honour three Cork boxers who have been picked for Ireland

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy, will next week present international pennants to three Cork boxers, who have been selected to represent Ireland at the World of Havoc Tournament which takes place in Florida in the end of the month.

The presentation will take place at a special ceremony in the City Hall. 

This will be a great occasion for Abby Murray, Muskerry BC, William Heaphy, Golden Gloves BC and Claire Crowley, St Martha’s BC. 

The boxers will be accompanied by their coaches and family members. 

All three boxers won All-Ireland titles at the National Stadium last month, and their outstanding victories has now been rewarded through international selection for the World Tournament. 

The timely selection of the boxers has been another independent enhancement of Cork boxing. 

Next weekend, the final of the U19 championships, take place. 

Cork have a number of boxers participating and these championships will complete the domestic long season where a record number of in excess of 40 national titles have come to Leeside.

On the same day, the Mayfield Boxing Club will be welcomed to the City Hall to mark their remarkable double in winning the Mannix Shield at this year’s county championships and going on to be selected as the Cork Club of the Year, and the new holders of the prestigious Victor J. Aston Cup which was presented to the club by sponsor Dan O’Connell.

This was a phenomenal achievement by the club and all their six coaches will be presented with a silver medal by the Lord Mayor.

The Mayfield recipients will be Brian Cronin, Garrett Fitzgerald, Adibo Alboloba, Peter Higgins, Jessy Fleming and Jimmy Stanton.

With the official opening of Bishop Lucey Park later in the year, all Cork boxers who won a national title this season will be presented with the now traditional Jack McAuliffe Gold Medal. 

This medal was introduced and sponsored by the Cork Ex-Boxers Association during the Cork County Boxing Board Centenary Year in 2014.

It has become a much sought after medal and the majority of winners over the last 12 years have made a real impact in the sport of boxing. 

This two athletes pictured on this page as recipients in 2016, are Eamer Coughlan, who won a world junior championship silver medal and Callum Walsh, who is now making big headlines on the world professional boxing stage and is tipped to be a future world champion, emulating the feat of Jack McAuliffe whom the illustrious medal is named after.

Following a Parade of national champions, led by the Lord Mayor, the Jack McAuliffe medal will be presented later this year at the new Boxing Wall in the revamped Bishop Lucey Park.

Former CIE and Sunnyside boxer Donie Carroll was back home in Cork recently and met with County Boxing Board Officials. 

Donie has been domiciled in New York for the last 30 years. 

However, he is back on Leeside on a regular basis. 

Donie is the vice president of World Friends of Cork Boxing Association.

The excellent news coming out of his recent meeting with the board is that Donie is to sponsor the Cork – New York Transatlantic Cup. 

This is a beautiful trophy supplemented by a set of magnificent medals for a special annual tournament, details of which will be announced next month.

The presentation of this cup to the board will take place at the City Hall on Saturday, 27th September next. 

On that day, Donie will be received at the City Hall by the Lord Mayor Cllr Fergal Dennehy. 

Donie will also lead a delegation from the USA to City Hall. 

This group visiting our city are from the ‘Port Jefferson Yacht Club’ from Long Island, and some of that touring party will be staying in the city for the annual Folk Festival which this year takes place from October 2nd to October 5th inclusive.

For many years, Donie Carroll has been very active with the Cork Mans Association in the Big Apple, and he has been honoured by that body on a number of occasions.

These included a very special presentation to the Douglas man in Cork at the Rochestown Park Hotel, as outlined in the picture on this page.

Elsewhere, last week Hollywood actor Michael Madison died, eighteen years ago he was the lead actor in the boxing film “Strength and Honour” which was made in Cork by Producer/Director Mark Mahon. 

It has a host of other stars including Richard Chamberlain and Vinny Jones. 

The film was shot on location in many parts of Cork, including a big warehouse in the marina Commercial Park, Loughmahon Boxing Club, and St Michael's Cemetery. 

During filming many Cork local boxing followers were employed on a daily basis as extras.

They received 80 euros a day and most of them earned in excess of one thousand euros. 

The film was well received in Ireland and Europe but completely bombed in the States. 

The local Cork acting contingent included Spike O’Sullivan ,WBO Champion, John Casey, international referee, Lee Cairns, top coach, Cian O’Brien of Body Mechanics fame, Stephen Roberts, John Keenan, Niall O’Sullivan, Kevin Power, Luke McGrath, Michael Coughlan and Gerry Rafferty.

Finally, the Cork County Boxing Board has extended best wishes to the Cork hurling team in next Sunday’s All-Ireland Hurling Final at Croke Park.