Cork Boxing Breakfasts continue to honour their own volunteers and officials

On Saturday morning last, Blarney was the picturesque setting for another enjoyable Cork Boxing Breakfast which took place once again in the splendidly appointed Muskerry Arms Restaurant, located in the heart of the famed village.             

This was an occasion to savour for many of Cork's outstanding boxing volunteers as they were acknowledged publicly for their great work in helping to develop amateur boxing within their own clubs. 

The president of the Cork County Boxing Board warmly thanked and congratulated them.

"As members of the Cork boxing family, you were also fundamental pieces of a remarkable sporting jigsaw, which collectively last season brought a record 53 All-Ireland titles to Leeside.'' 

In recent years, the sport has enjoyed a phenomenal level of interest from young Cork male and female athletes and this has led to a major increase in the number of new clubs affiliating throughout the entire county. 

This has been achieved through better facilities and excellent coaching within the club network and the guiding and administrative hand of the secretary John Wiseman and his fellow officers in a very progressive and proactive county board.

The first presentation of the morning saw Aine McLoughlin presented with an international manager's pennant in recognition of her being appointed for the first time as an international team manager.

Aine led an Irish team to Edinbrough where in a very successful event in February Aine's leadership skills did her club, county, and her country proud, said the board president when making the presentation to her. 

The next award was presented to the Cork Premier Referee of the Year.

Here, the receipent was Billy O'Sullivan, from the Midleton Boxing Club. 

Billy's acolade was richly deserved and universally received. 

Billy is a very experienced campaigner as a former boxer, and now coach and administrator. 

As a referee he commands respect in the ring and knows exactly when to make the margin calls, his primary objective is to protect the two boxers and to ensure the correct level of sportsmanship prevails in the ring at all times.

He operates with a minimum of interference, yet when he has to, his decisions are both efficient and decisive.

He is a worthy winner of the Cork Referee of the Year award.

The presentation to Billy was made by the board secretary John Wiseman.

Following this, the inaurgural Cork Women in Boxing Coach of the Year Award was presented to the very popular Ciara Noonan from the Mitchelstown Boxing Club. 

This award was presented by the board president Michael O'Brien.

"Like so many other young women Ciara has been an inspiration in Cork Boxing circles. 

"Over the last two years she was assigned a number of challenging tasks by the Board and delivered on all. 

"She is a constant on the circuit and very obliging to other clubs looking for spars or finding a boxer at short notice to compete in an impending club tournament when the original selected boxer had to cry off through injury or illness. 

"As a female coach she enjoys great respect from women boxers of all age groups.

"This is the hallmark of her success," O'Brien said. 

Ciara received a great ovation from all within the packed function hall. 

Ten silver plates were then presented to representatives from a multitude of clubs and these will feature in next week's boxing column.    Meanwhile, Shane Forde from the Togher Boxing Club was selected as the winner of the boxing award at the forthcoming Cork Indoor Sports Awards, which will take place at the Metropole Hotel on Friday, 15th May next. 

The guest of honour will be the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy.

Both Shane and the Lord Mayor are members of the same boxing club.  

Shane's nomination was a very popular selection among the clubs in Cork. 

He is a leading coach in the city an accomplished referee and an excellent matchmaker who has co-ordinated the Cork Weekly Boxing Leagues over the last four years. 

This recognition has been richly deserved.  

Elsewhere, the former Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Kieran McCarthy recently launched his latest book at the Council Chamber in the City hall. 

McCarthy, a noted historian, and author of a further 32 other books, has his latest work reflecting on his year in office as Leeside's first citizen. 

In the great literary hall's and universities of the world such august bodies annually appoint to a position which is termed 'writer in residence.' 

For the purpose of his latest book, coming deep from the bowls within City Hall, McCarthy was well positioned and fully embracing the title of 'writer in residence.' 

Kieran's book is a delightful tale of hosting events, receiving groups, attending functions, meeting and greeting all class and colour of people from Barrack Street to Bermuda.  

Amongst those he received in City Hall was a group of Cork senior boxers, who won a record-breaking six adult titles in the elite grade.

A photo of this historic occasion is featured in the book as is a picture of himself and an Taoiseach Micheal Martin officially opening the Tomas MacCurtain Boxing Museum. 

This book also contains many facets on the developing city of Cork, and can with great certainty be defined as a very entertaining and informative book, on our dear old city by the Lee.