Lord Mayor honours the famous boxing Buckley family from Mallow in City Hall with a reception

One of Cork's most famous sporting families the boxing Buckley's from Mallow received a civic reception from the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Fergal Dennehy at the City Hall recently.                   

This was a red letter day for a family, who took a great pride in the sport of boxing and produced many outstanding champions over many generations. 

Today, the extended clan of the famed family number about 140 residing in the greater Mallow area, and close to half of them attended the special function in their honor. 

The event was organised by the Cork County Boxing Board in association with the Lord Mayor's office.              

The occasion was officially marked by the Lord Mayor who presented them with a plaque which depicted their magnificent service to the sport of boxing, both inside and outside of the ring.   

Cork's first citizen made the presentation to Joe Buckley on behalf of all the families. 

The venue for this presentation was also very appropriate as during the sporting reign of the Buckley clan.

The City Hall was the regular venue for all major boxing on Leeside from local championships to senior internationals. 

It was Joe's father Paddy, who made the biggest impression around Cork City in the 1940's and fifties. 

Paddy was a great boxer with a big reputation and was renowned for cycling from Mallow to Blackpool to spar with boxers in the Glen Boxing Club which was located in Spring Lane. 

Amongst those he sparred with were Tommy Hyde, and Paddy Martin. 

The Mallow man was also very friendly with Christy Ring and Jack Lynch, as he too was also a great hurling man. 

Paddy won an intermediate county hurling championship medal with Mallow in 1959, and his son Pat also won a county intermediate hurling medal in 1972. 

The Buckleys were the only father and son to win county championship medals with Mallow. 

In 1947, a boxing club was founded in Mallow by Pa Buckley, who in 1913 had fought his first professional fight against the well known Private Stout from Leinster. 

That same night the bill was headlined by the great Pakie Mahony, who was then the Irish heavyweight champion and who went on to become the first trainer of the Glen amateur boxing club when they were established in 1916. 

The connection between the Buckleys of Mallow and the Glen Boxing Club now stretches back over a century.  

Paddy made many trips to the Glen, while his father Pa Buckley continued with the boxing club he created by extending the garden shed and here all the other boxing Buckleys trained.

During that era, Paddy Buckley was a household name in all boxing circles, he won many county championships and Munster titles.

He represented Ireland on many occasions.

He defeated then European champion Maxi McCullough on two occasions, once at the City Hall on a night the house full sign went up half an hour before the first bell, and he, along with Tommy Hyde would always draw a big crowd where ever they competed.

For many years he was a prominent member of the Cork Ex-Boxers Association and was proud to carry Jack Doyle's coffin along with other members of that association at the funeral of the famous Cobh man when he was returned to Cork for burial in Cobh in 1978.   

The Lord Mayor paid tribute to all members of the Buckley boxing clan and all established themselves as very accomplished boxers. 

Jim Buckley won three national titles in Dublin in the 1920's.

Pa boxed successfully as a professional and famously won the purse of £15 at the Doneraile show in 1924. 

JJ Buckley was seen as a class act with great style. 

JJ enjoyed great success and fought the best including John McNally, Ireland's first Olympic medalist. 

Dan the smiler Buckley was also on the boxing circuit, but played the part of an adviser more than an athlete. 

David Buckley was another fine exponent of the noble art as well as a fine hurler, he too was on the Mallow team who won the county hurling title in 1959. 

Dave's son Declan, also boxed and his two grandsons Kenneth and Luke were prominent practisioners in the square ring. 

Luke was the first Buckley to box in the National Stadium since his grandad in 1959. 

The president of the Cork County Boxing Board thanked the Lord Mayor for his hospitality and for giving the Buckley visitors a historical tour of the City Hall.

Michael O'Brien said: "The Buckleys are amongst the most famous of Cork boxing families and their contribution to the sport has been phenominal."

O'Brien then produced a programme of the Buckley's boxing story which was autographed by An Taoiseach Micheal Martin and requested the Lord Mayor to equally endorse it, which he was delighted to do before he presented it to the family, who will treasure it amongst their memorabilia in their illustrious sporting archives.