Great men have helped to make Cork boxing and its clubs great over the years

In 2017, Mayfield Boxing Club had the unique distinction of being the first winner of this prestigious Victor J Aston Cup.

In that year, Dan O’Connell a former president of the Cork County Boxing Board sponsored the magnificent Cup. 

This perpetuates the memory of a man who did an enormous amount of hard work to keep the sport alive in both Cork and throughout Munster.

Over the last seven years, the cup has been presented to a club who has been selected as Cork’s most progressive club during that year. 

It is based on a criteria of selecting three clubs and then examining carefully how these clubs performed during that year. 

Success in the ring is only one component, the organisation, efficiency and discipline of the clubs is also taken into consideration.

Another major factor is how the club is progressing and building for the future. 

This is a safer guard, which also helps to protect the survival of the sport in the club and helps to further cement the strength of Cork boxing.

To create a greater and ongoing appreciation of a club winning this cup the sponsor decided it would be appropriate to subsequently present a plaque to each club following their year of success. 

Hence the introduction of the recent presentations.

On a cold and dreary November night recently two clubs were retrospectfully presented with plaques to mark their achievement of winning the cup in recent years. 

These clubs, Mayfield BC winning the illustrious accolade in its inaugural year of 2017, and Brian Dillon’s BC winning the cup in 2022.

The success rate of these clubs has been well documented in this column over recent years.

Mayfield BC has had extra-ordinary success since their foundation as a new club in 2009. 

They now have very ambitious plans as they look to the future of the club and the next generation of boxers to represent this great unit of the sport.

Brian Dillon’s Boxing Club has flown the flag for the sport for over 40 years. 

The club rooms are based in a very historic part of the city at Steam Hill in Dillon’s Cross. 

The club location has always been known as the hole in the wall. 

It was once the club house for the famed Brian Dillon’s Hurling and Football Club.

Today, Brian Dillon’s BC own their own club building. 

In March 2016, the then Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Chris O’Leary officially opened the magnificent new extension to the club, this was a remarkable refurbishment, and today, club enjoy the ultra-modern facilities provided by this club. 

The driving force behind this development was unquestionably Denis Desmond. 

Today this club is a monument to his forward thinking and is testament to his great commitment to the sport.

During the recent presentations Denis Desmond received the award on behalf of Brian Dillon’s BC, while founder member and outstanding coach Brian Cronin was on hand to welcome the sponsor to their training session which took place in the hall at Mayfield East Community Association. This community association has played a major part in helping to develop boxing as a sport within the community. 

Their facilitation of the Mayfield boxers is fully appreciated by all in the club.

While only one mile separates the location of these two clubs, both are thriving today. 

A combined total of 108 athletes were training during the night of the recent presentations. 

This is the equivalent of lining out ten soccer teams. 

It is also a great cameo of the current strength of boxing throughout Cork city and county.

Today, Cork Boxing is a well-oiled machine. 

The phenomenal success enjoyed by the boxers is a tribute to their coaches. 

However, the clubs are now part of a county board infrastructure, which leads by example. 

Today, there is a great pride in Cork boxing. 

The vast majority of the clubs are in unison with the Cork County Board, various examples in this past year have shown how Cork clubs came together to back each other, when some clubs and individuals where challenged by external events. 

These occasions helped to unite the Cork clubs, and to fully understand and appreciate that old styled begrudgery must now become part of the past.

When Dan O’Connell saw the thriving numbers attending training at these two club recently he could see the progressive status attached to being selected as the Cork club of the year. 

These plaques will be displayed in their respective clubs in a place of prominence. 

The current of those clubs can take profound pride in the achievement of their club, while new ing as part of future generations must endeavour to adhere to the standard of excellence achieved by that club.

Occasions such as these play an integral part in the history and development of the club. 

These are great days in Cork boxing. 

However, calm heads must always prevail and the sport must never again be allowed to return to the dark days of the early seventies. 

Those were times when the sport in Cork almost went into extension. 

At that point, Cork had only two clubs and one senior boxer.

However, Cork Boxing did prevail thanks to the remarkable hard work of two men. 

One of whom was Dan O’Connell, the man who made the plaque presentations and the other was Victor J. Aston. 

These two men kept boxing alive on Leeside, which has enabled all in Cork Boxing today an opportunity to appreciate their contribution to the survival of the sport.