Christmas holiday period allows Cork boxing reflect on another great year inside and outside the ring

2024 will fondly be ed as another outstanding year for Cork boxing. 

The challenge now is to consolidate this success, by prudently panning for the future.

First class senior boxing on Leeside is now on the way back after a long absence. 

The clubs now have focused on this grade, and the adult success achieved over the last two years at national level illustrates that Cork can now develop the underage potential into future senior and elite champions.

Veteran coach Tom Kelleher speaking at the recent Buckley Centenary Tournament said this about senior boxing.

“Senior boxing is the way to go, we must now work with the Cork County Board to promote a lot more senior tournaments.”

John Morrissey, Golden Gloves BC, a man who has presided over his club's recent success in both senior and elite boxing has been tasked with the brief of liaising on behalf of Cork boxing with Zaur Antia, Olympic coach at the high performance unit in Abbotstown.

It is anticipated that Morrissey and Antia will compile a plan over Christmas. 

This will be available to all coaches and boxers in Cork, based on a schedule. 

On Tuesday, January 14 next, the coaches and secretaries from all clubs will be invited to a meeting with the Cork Boxing Officer Board.

This will provide clubs with an opportunity to suggest ideas they would like to see implemented. 

It will also give the Officer Board an opportunity to expand on their future plans.

The past year was a sad one for many Cork boxing families. 

We lost many great ambassadors for the sport. 

Each one of them contributed in their own way and this column sympathised with their families and paid tribute to their contribution to boxing. 

In particular, the Cork Ex-Boxers Association have been devastated.

The Cork Ex-Boxers Association, an organisation which was set up in 1972, and celebrated their Golden Jubilee in 2022, has lost ten of its in the last couple of years. 

Paddy Martin, father of the Tánaiste, along with Tim O’Sullivan, established the former boxers association. 

Paddy known as “The Champ” died in January 2012 and Tim died in October 2020. 

On a Sunday morning four days before he died Tim requested that Paddy McSweeney and Michael O’Brien come to see him in his home.

This they did, Tim knew he did not have much left, however, he did say in a very firm voice, referring to the Ex-Boxers Association telling them: “Promise me that ‘Ye won’t leave this fade away."

Tim got the commitment he requested.

In the New Year, a special emphasis will be placed on recruiting new to an association that is now 52 years in existence. 

Going forward the format may be slightly changed to move with the times, however, the spirit and principals of the founder will be maintained. 

In recent years, the Cork Ex-Boxers Association through its made a very valiant contribution to promote and develop the sport while complementing the work of the Cork County Board.

The past 12 months has seen a fantastic revival in Cork adult boxing. 

A beautiful illustrated colour action poster has been recently designed and will go on display early in the New Year. 

This will feature “The magnificent seven” who brought boxing honour and sporting glory to Cork.

Aaron O’Donoghue, Linda Desmond, Shane Cunningham, Kuba Pielesz, Dave O’Neill, Katie O’Keeffe and Ryan McCarthy will feature in it.

Equally, it has been another superb season for Cork’s underage, junior, U22 and college boxers in male and female ranks. 

This group has produced a further 34 All-Ireland champions, building another solid foundation for the future.

On Monday, January 1st last year, the Glen Boxing Club, the oldest beacon of light on Ireland amateur boxing shore once again led by example and flew the Olympic flag. 

This was to welcome, the Olympic year and to salute Ireland’s boxing participation in the Games but by this country’s own very high standard of success 2024 was far from spectacular.

However, who will ever forget the fantastic achievement of Kellie Harrington on sensationally winning her second consecutive Olympic gold medal, she is a remarkable female athlete. 

Locally, the Rebel County produced their own daughter of fame; Linda Desmond, Rylane Boxing Club, who remarkably won her second consecutive elite title. 

This was her fifth national title in one year, winning U22, college, senior and two elite titles. 

She also won the ultimate accolade in Cork female sport by being crowned, the overall winner of the prestigious Echo Women in Sport Award.

As this is the last Cork boxing column before Christmas, I wish to extend best wishes to the friends of Cork boxing all over the world. 

To our three globally well positioned vice presidents, Frank O’Sullivan in Britain, Dan O’Connell in main-land Europe and Donie Carroll in the big apple New York we thank you for your all year.

I hope you were both informed and entertained with our Leeside boxing coverage during the past year.

To all other boxing followers who greatly ed this page, with queries, nuggets of sporting information, suggestions and providing pieces of Cork boxing history, I thank you, equally I wish to sincerely acknowledge the great I received from, Doug Minihane, photographer, Mick Kelleher, Cork boxing on line and John Wiseman, secretary of the Cork County Boxing Board.

Finally, to all Cork boxers, coaches and clubs, the Cork Ex-Boxers Association, the Cork Boxing Fraternity Association and all followers of the sport, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.