Glen Boxing Club mark 100 years since first offical amateur tournament in Ireland
Cork Boxing: Lord Mayor Cllr Fergal Dennehy on a visit to the Tomás McCurtain Museum at the Glen Boxing Club ahead of the Centenary Tournament. Included are club committee members Anthony Connolly, Clodagh Mackey Pelan, Tom Kelleher and Cork County Boxing Board President Michael O’Brien. Picture: Doug Minihane
It's 100 years since the first official amateur boxing tournament in Ireland took place in the Cork suburb of Blackpool.
This was a historic day for the sport in this country. It ignited a flame on the national sporting horizon, with boxing becoming Ireland's most successful Olympic sport.
On Friday, November 14, Ireland's oldest boxing club the Glen BC will host a spectacular senior boxing tournament to mark the centenary of the club's first tournament, which took place on November 27, 1925.
It took place with official sanction from the IABA then known as the Irish Amateur Boxing Association, and the venue was a big old barn-style industrial store where the famous Lido Cinema was built many years later. This is another great milestone in the illustrious history of a club who have become a legendary part of sporting life on Leeside.
The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Fergal Dennehy, launched the event recently. Speaking in the Tomas Mac Curtain Boxing Museum he said: "The Glen club has a boxing pedigree second to none, and is one of the great sporting institutions on the island of Ireland, this is a magnificent museum and I will encourage the minister for sport during his next visit to the city to make sure to come and see this remarkable collection of boxing memorabilia."
Club chairman Anthony Connolly invited the Lord Mayor as Cork's first citizen to sign the official visitor's book.
"This will be a very important event for our club. The business community in Blackpool and surrounding areas have always very generously supported our club, and we are confident they will also support us with this venture and once again I wish to thank Donie Carroll for sponsoring a magnificent cup and set of beautiful medals."
Cork County Boxing Board president Michael O'Brien explained it is a unique boxing tournament.
"The Glen has the distinction of being the longest-established unit in the country. Over many generations this club has been a trailblazer, and a great beacon of light for amateur boxing in this country. The centenary boxing event, will I have no doubt, be a first-class senior boxing tournament and I believe it will be well supported by the business community and boxing patrons.
"This club has always produced great boxers and attracted many in the community to become members including former Taoiseach Jack Lynch.
"When Ali came to Dublin to fight Al Blue Lewis in Croke Park in 1972, he met Jack as Taoiseach, Ali asked Jack had he any interest in boxing. Lynch responded by producing his Glen Boxing membership card.
The treasurer of the club for over 10 years now is Clodagh Mackey Pelan.
"We in the Glen club are very fortunate to own our own club, but this also creates a situation where we have to constantly raise funds to maintain the upkeep of the building and so on. This will always be a challenge however we are very grateful for the support we receive from the Blackpool business community."
Club coaches Tom Kelleher and Bob O'Driscoll drive the Glen.
Kelleher is known and well respected throughout the country. He has a vast knowledge of boxing both inside and outside the ring and considerable international experience.
Over the last 30 years, he has been at the helm as head coach with Glen BC.
He was involved with the Brian Dillons BC previously and the now-defunct Ballyvolane Boxing Club. This was an outstanding club which enjoyed great success for many years until, sadly, the building was burned down to sound the death knell for a very progressive club. While there, he trained his son Michael to win several national titles.
Another great servant with the Glen is Bob O'Driscoll. Robert, as he is known to many, is also a very well-respected referee. Over many years now, O'Driscoll has coached youngsters who have learned the art of boxing under his tuition.
The Glen Boxing Club was established in 1916. The club organised many training sessions for their young boxers, primarily from local schools. The monks or brothers who taught in these schools were delighted to foster the sport of boxing.
These schools included Blackpool National School, the Cathedral NS, Eason's Hill, St Patrick's, Blarney St, CBS, and the North Mon. Until 1916, there was no hurling allowed in the Mon, as it was a rugby school.
However, two great Irish men changed all that. Tadhg Barry and Tomás Mac Curtain made strong representations and hurling was introduced. Rugby found its way down to the other Christian Brothers School on King Street, or more appropriately known today as Mac Curtain Street.
After the rising of 1916, there was great uncertainty. For the next seven or eight years, the War of Independence, the Burning of Cork, which included the Parnell's Boxing Club in Copley Street, and the Civil War, all contributed to a very strained political climate.
In 1925, the Glen Boxing Club believed normality had finally returned to the streets of Cork.
Following a meeting of the Glen Boxing committee, a famous declaration was made. The Glen Boxing Club announced that, on Friday, 27 November 1925, they would promote the first club tournament ever, and so once again history was made by the Glen BC.
To mark the centenary of their first tournament, the club organised a great night of top-class senior boxing which will take place in the Glen Boxing Club commencing at 7.30pm on Friday, November 14.
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