Cork Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy backs calls for international boxing to return to the City Hall

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy said recently that he would like to see a full international boxing test match take place in Cork during his year in office.

Leeside's first citizen has already held preliminary talks with the CEO of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association Gary Stuart and officers of the Cork county boxing board. 

The Lord Mayor said the following.

''Cork boxing is currently enjoying tremendous success at every level within the sport, and this would provide a great opportunity for followers to see the elites of Irish boxing participate and showcase their pugilistic skills.''

This event would take place in the City Hall which is broadly acknowledged as the spiritual home of Cork boxing. 

The IABA are currently expanding the profile of the sport and recently launched a new brand name and are now promoted as Boxing Ireland. There is nothing world changing about the new brand name as it more or less complies with the ethos of Sport Ireland. 

This august body has encouraged all Olympic Sports to brand in sync; hence we now have Athletics Ireland, Rowing Ireland, Basketball Ireland etc. and now Boxing Ireland. 

However, there is now a good and progressive working team operating out of the national Stadium on the South Circular Road.

There are big changes in the wind, and the new CEO Gary Stuart is a breath of fresh air and has brought a new dynamic dimension to the organisation of the sport, with his innovative thinking and his weekly updates on every aspect of activity both inside and outside of the ring.

Elsewhere, the Munster Boxing Championship's continued last weekend in Dungarvan and they will again take place next weekend. 

Cork clubs continue to thrive and then it's on to the big smoke and the All-Ireland championships in Dublin.

Meanwhile, 90 years ago, on September 8th, 1936 huge crowds flocked to Anglesea Street to see the President of Ireland Éamon de Valera officially open the new Cork City Hall. 

The iconic building included a majestic concert hall which subsequently became the illustrious venue which hosted many of Leeside's legendary boxing events. 

Down through the years many International test matches took place in addition to various championships and tournaments. 

The Cork boxing family was always a close-knit community which encouraged and facilitated great boxing rivalries.

The northside of the river Lee had a long tradition of producing top class boxers and many clubs sprang up and, from time to time, clubs became very attractive to thousands of youngsters who filed through their doors. 

Those were the halcyon days for many, and these times have left a rich legacy of cherished memories. 

Today, many of these times can be recalled if one visits the Tomas MacCurtain Museum which is located in the Glen Boxing Club. 

The 1930's 40's 50's and 1960's were times of great economic hardship and among other sports, boxing became a beacon of light for many. 

It gave them a sense of purpose to go and compete. Lifelong friendships were created in many of the boxing halls around Cork. 

This illustration can be observed in many instances.

One such enduring friendship amongst two former boxers spanned well over seventy years. 

Tommy Hyde of Sunnyside, and Paddy Martin of the Glen enjoyed an endearing sporting friendship. 

There were remarkable similarities associated with both men. They were the same age, both born on the northside of the City, while they attended different national schools, it’s ironic that both were encouraged to take up boxing by their respective schoolteachers.

Representing their clubs Hyde and Martin appeared on the card of some great boxing shows and they went on to represent Ireland in manty internationals throughout Europe. 

When father time blew the whistle on their athleticism both men retired from boxing together in 1955. In 1972 they set out to promote the sport in the Cork region and became founder members of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association.

In the ring both boxers made history in different ways, culminating in the creation of many great memories which are still shared to this day. 

In the same year both men passed away in 2012. 

Paddy Martin died in January and Mick Hyde died in May of that year. 

As a fitting permanent tribute to these great boxing ambassadors a dual ceremony took place in Bishop Lucey Park on Saturday 12th September 2016.

The Cork Ex-Boxers Association had two magnificent plaques erected on the boxing wall of fame, to perpetuate their memories. 

Paddy Martin's plaque was sponsored by his friend from the Glen BC the businessman Hilary Loftus and Tommy Hyde’s plaque was sponsored by his lifelong friend and fellow boxer the late Tony Flannagan. 

A massive attendance was there to see the now Taoiseach Micheàl Martin unveil the plaques.

There was a carnival atmosphere in the park, and this was fully complimented by that great northside institution the Butter Exchange Band. 

This was a fitting salute to two great characters who graced the sport with distinction.