Cork boxers enjoy further spectacular success with national titles won at the National Stadium

The march of champions continues for Cork Boxers with further spectacular success enjoyed at the National Stadium on Saturday last.

The Leesiders proudly returned to the southern capital displaying the laurel wreaths of victory achieved at the national intermediate boxing championships.

This was another great day for both the Spartan and Golden Gloves Clubs. 

In the midst of this success however, one has to acknowledge the performances of other Cork boxers, who gained valuable experience which will serve them well on another day. 

For the Spartan Boxing Club based in Turner's Cross, this victory was the icing on the cake for head coach Paddy McSweeney. 

Following the premature death of the much loved and admired Davie Mannix exactly ten years ago, Paddy stepped into the breech and took on the mantle of head coach at the southside club.

Last Saturday, when the very popular Jay had his hand raised in triumph and proclaimed the national 70kg intermediate champion, the spirit of Mannix prevailed in the stadium and every member of the Spartan Club stood proud of their club, and the jubilant Jay. 

In the second Cork victory of a truly red-letter day, Ola Wahab delivered a sterling performance to win the 75kg title for the Golden Gloves Boxing Club. 

This was yet another national adult boxing success for coach John Morrissey whose club trophy cabinet must now be laden with national riches.

Once again King Kong Morrissey worked the oracle and delivered on the big stage.

He has also maintained his target of bringing adult boxing All-Ireland success to his club and county consecutively each year over the last five years. 

Cork's success at the National Stadium was warmly welcomed by the president of the County Boxing Board Michael O'Brien.

He congratulated the victors and their coaches, and extended best wishes to all Leeside boxers who represented the county in a very competitive and sporting manner.

Meanwhile, at the Town Hall in Bandon on Sunday next, 7th December, commencing at 1.30pm 'The Bandon Brawl' takes place. 

This spectacular boxing tournament is promoted by the very progressive local boxing club De Courcey BC. 

This occasion will give the Cork sporting public an opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of very competitive boxing amidst a great festive atmosphere. 

"We have some cracking contests lined up and it will match last year’s show which was the talk of the town for weeks," head coach Will Rossall said.

A feature of this year's programme is the presentation of a Jack McAuliffe belt to the winner of the super heavyweight bout. 

McAuliffe was the only Cork Boxer to win a world title, and Jack was the lightweight champion of the world and retired undefeated, having defended the title successfully for nine years. 

The place to be next Sunday is The Town Hall, Bandon.

Meanwhile, following the revamp of Bishop Lucey Park, and with a splendid boxing wall now once again in situ, plans for a number of new plaques to be erected will concentrate the minds of the members of the Cork ex-Boxers Association. 

A plaque honouring all Cork boxers, who represented Ireland at the Olympic Games since 1924 is currently on display in the park.

There are many other plaques now on display in the park chronicling the majestic national and international success of Cork's boxers. 

The latest of three new plaques under consideration for display is one to proudly record the names of all those who have reached the summit and had their hand held aloft in victory proclaiming them as Irish national senior champions.

With such an emphasis, the focus will be to salute all the rebel county boxer's and acknowledge their achievements. 

For many years the premier grade in Irish boxing was senior. 

Then with the introduction of the high-performance unit, this was then changed to elite, and the intermediate division was upgraded to senior status.

For the coming year, the IABA have changed it again, and we now have Elite, no senior, and back comes the intermediate championship once again.

The list of Leeside's regal premier champions from 1922 to the present day will be proudly displayed on the next plaque. 

Cork's first senior All-Ireland champions in 1922 were Connie Clarke, heavy weight Blarney BC and Joe Buckley, bantam Mallow BC. 

In 1924, the Army had three national winners, Pat Kelleher, lightweight, Mossy Doyle, feather weight, and Willie Boy Murphy, middleweight, and in the same year, representing Garda BC, Jim O'Driscoll won the light heavyweight title. 

In 1925, Mossy Doyle and Joe Buckley returned in national triumph again, and in 1926 Jim O'Driscoll won back the light heavyweight title. 

In 1928, a man who was rapidly becoming one of the all-time greats of Cork boxing, Willie boy' Murphy now with the Garda BC, won the Irish light heavyweight title and retained in 1929, and came back to win it again in 1932.

Another great senior boxing star from that very successful era was Jim O Driscoll, Garda BC, having won national titles in 1924 and 1926 he came back to win a further three Irish senior titles in 1930, 33' and 1934. 

It was another 12 years before a senior title came back to Cork and in 1946 and 1947 Jim Gunner Murray of the Glen BC won a consecutive double at feather weight and in 1946 Tommy Hyde at welter, won the first of the Sunnyside's 21 national senior titles.

Cork waited a further five years until Ray Donnelly, representing Nemo BC, won the National Light Heavyweight crown in 1952. 

Eight years later Paddy Kenny, who lined out with the Cork News Boys Club on Lavitt's Quay, won an Irish senior title in 1960. 

Two years later Don Murray, representing Matt Talbot's BC, won junior and senior heavyweight titles in the same year. 

In 1978, with Albie Murphy in his corner, Neilly Dunne won the heavyweight title. 

This was Sunnyside’s second national success.

Now, the Sunnyside gates were about to open as a giant was sleeping and between 1983 and 2001 the club enjoyed winning a phenomenal tally of 19 Irish titles. 

Kieran Joyce six, Michael Roche five, Paul Buttimer four, and Gordon Joyce four national senior titles. 

Gordan has a record, when at 16 years of age he was the youngest ever to win a senior title. 

This record will never be broken as the IABA have now increased the age barrier to compete in this grade.

Further success and national glory went to Seanie Barrett Rylane BC, Billy Walsh, St Colman’s BC, and Eana Falvey in 2002, with St Colman’s BC. Sixteen years later Tommy McCarthy in 2018 became Cork's latest elite champion, and this success was followed with Cork's most recent senior elite titles going to Ryan McCarthy, Fr Horgan’s BC, and Aaron O'Donoghue, Golden Gloves BC.