Cork boxer Christina Desmond ready to step into ring as a professional

The new boxing season on Leeside will be richly enhanced this year through the introduction of the much-anticipated Cork County Open Senior Boxing Championships.

It has been more than 40 years since this grade of championship boxing took place in Cork as an annual competitive event. However, in the last few years, the County Board has put huge emphasis on the development of this grade.

John Morrissey, head coach with the very successful Golden Gloves BC, was last year appointed by the board president as Director of Senior Boxing in the southern capital. Most observers welcomed this move as Morrissey was trading on a phenomenal record of coaching achievements over the last three years.

During that period and under his precision-guided coaching, Golden Gloves Boxers have won two elite championships, three senior national titles, one novice senior All-Ireland crown, produced two Paddy 'the Champ' Martin Cup Winners and a galaxy of underage national champions.

Morrissey has also unearthed a gem in William Heaphy who, in addition to All-Ireland glory, won a gold medal representing Ireland in Florida recently. Morrissey is well placed to promote senior boxing in Cork. 

He is constantly on the go, as a roving pilgrim of the pugilistic sport. 

He will be once again in the National Stadium on Friday night next, where two of his boxers will compete for national success at the IABA U15 Championships.

Morrissey, the former Cork Boxing Coach of the Year, believes the Cork Senior Open Championships will attract a huge entry, and this will strongly contribute to further developing this very important grade. The County Board will introduce a new medal exclusive to senior boxing only.

CLASS ACT

Meanwhile, Christina Desmond has joined the professional ranks. As an amateur for many years, she was the queen of Cork boxing. 

Desmond won six national elite titles, a silver, a silver European elite championship medal, a world silver junior medal, and many other accolades including being selected on two occasions as the Echo Women in Sport overall winner. She was always very helpful to young female boxers and was a great amateur champion.

The Cork County Boxing Board has extended best wishes to Christina. As she prepares for her new sporting endeavours, Desmond has been sparing recently in the Spartan Club in Turner's Cross.

Last weekend this club had two boxers competing in the Emerald Box Cup in Dublin. It was a great day for the Spartan Club as two of their boxers George, and Jay were crowned box cup champions. This was a great tribute to the outstanding work of the club's coaching staff led by head coach Paddy McSweeney.

Nine years after the club’s foundation in February 1916, the Glen Boxing Club held their first boxing tournament. This took place on November 27, 1925. This was a historic occasion for the now-famed Blackpool club. At that time the Glen BC were based in a converted terraced house in Spring lane where the club remained until 1966.

This house was generously provided by the Goulding Fertilizer Company who operated in the locality. In those days, the Glen boxing club was a hotbed of activity with youngsters coming from all over the northside. In April of that year the glen hurling club was established at a meeting which took place in the boxing club. And 110 years later the two clubs are still firing on all cylinders. In 1925, Glen Rovers won the intermediate county title and went senior and in the same year the boxing club held the inaugural club tournament.

This event took place in a large hall with a barn-style structure. This site was subsequently converted into what was known as the lido-cinema. This cinema served the people of Blackpool and the surrounding areas for many years.

However, it was often said that the tough cowboys who operated in the saloons on the silver screen would have met their match had they ever tried to throw shapes in the taverns of Blackpool.

The information on the Gle's first tournament was delightfully delivered by the late Jim McOwen, a northside historian. The other source for information on the club's first tournament came from Tom Nolan, known as 'sliotar'.

His father competed in that tournament and Tom went on to box for the Glen for many years. In 2016, at the Glen Boxing Club centenary dinner, Tom Nolan was a special guest who at the age of 93 was the oldest surviving Glen boxer.

The Glen Boxing Club committee will meet shortly and publish their plans to mark in great style the centenary anniversary of the club's first boxing tournament in 1925. 

Don Murray, who boxed with Matt Talbots BC, is the oldest surviving national elite senior champion in Cork.

The picture here shows Don making a gold medal presentation to Linda Desmond Cork's latest elite champion. 

Don won his title in 1962 and both will attend as special guests of the Lord Mayor in the City Hall at a function in October.