County championship time for boxers of all ages and weights over the coming weeks

On Saturday, and Sunday last, the boys and girls 4, 5 and 6 section of the 2025 Cork County Boxing Championships took place at the Northside Club in Blackpool.

Once again, this year there was a record entry for this category.

The draw followed the weight in, and commencing that afternoon, three days of very competitive championship boxing delivered a few surprises following some very closely contested bouts.

The second phase of the 2025 boys and girls 1, 2 and 3 Championships will take place on the weekend of Saturday, 1st and Sunday 2nd March. The best boxer at these championships will be presented with the Maurice Walsh Perpetual Cup and Mr Pa Walsh will make the presentation.

Following the completion of both championships, the winner of the top club at this year’s Cork County Championships will have been decided and they will be presented with the magnificent Mannix Shield, perpetuating the memory of the much loved and respected Dave, a former All-Ireland champion with the Glen BC. 

Ten years ago at the county championships of 2015, Dave officiated as a referee for the last time. 

Therefore, ten years on, it is now timely that Dave will not be forgotten at the Cork County Championships, and following the final bell, on Sunday March 2nd, Conal Thomas, the sponsor, will present the top club in 2025 with the Dave Mannix Shield.

Following the completion of the second phase of the 2025 Cork County Championships all results, featuring the names of all county champions and a spectacular double page of Doug Minihane action photos will be published as a Cork boxing special on Tuesday, 18th March next.

Elsewhere, on Thursday night at the Metropole Hotel, Linda Desmond, Rylane Boxing Club will appear as one of 12 finalists for the prestigious Echo Women in Sport Supreme award. 

Linda is the current holder of this illustrious Award and she enjoyed a great year as Cork’s top female athlete amongst all sports on Leeside.

The secretary of the Rylane Boxing Club, John Crowley, a man also well steeped in the bows of Cork GAA circles said this.

“Linda's victory in the Elite National Boxing Championships was a fairy-tale success story for the club, and to win it a second year running was truly remarkable, but to be acknowledged as the top female senior athlete in the Rebel County is an accolade the Rylane Club will cherish for many days."

Linda qualified for the Echo Women in Sport Supreme Award final by winning the November monthly award following her double success in winning back-to-back Elite titles at the National Stadium. 

Linda is coached by Dan Lane, affectionately known in Rylane as the boxing messiah, and by the very sharp and astute Seanie Barrett, a former Elite champion.

Meanwhile, during the recent general election, much was written or referenced to boxer Paddy 'The Champ' Martin, father of the Taoiseach Micheal.

Paddy Martin will always be ed for one famous fight. 

On Friday, January 12, 1951, the Glen BC had organised a tournament in the City Hall.

It was the 16th tournament organised by the club, who were the first club to host a tournament at the new City Hall, which opened in 1936. Birkenhead BC travelled over to face the Glen. 

They had a boxer in their ranks known as ‘black magic’.

The boxer known as ‘black magic’ was of course Joe Bygraves, the Jamaican champion, who came with a big knock out reputation. 

This fight was the talk of Cork. 

Tickets for the event were sold in Dan Hobb’s Drapery Store in Patrick Street, and all tickets sold out, on the morning, they went on sale. Amongst those in the City Hall that night were Christy Ring, Toddy O’Sullivan, Kid Cronin, this writer's father, and John Sheehan, a nephew of Paddy Martin. 

Jack Lynch intended coming from Dublin, but he was delayed being then a Parliamentary Secretary and a speechwriter for de Valera. 

However, Lynch got the good news later that night when he phoned the Lord Mayor’s office in the City Hall.

From early evening , the word went out that the City Hall was a ‘sell out’, however crowds flocked in their droves with workers on the marina coming from Fords, Dunlop’s, and Goulding’s, and boxing pilgrims from the northside marching on City Hall. 

The local hostelries were packed to the rafters, as many believed Bygraves was a potential world champion. 

When the doors opened there was mayhem both inside and outside the building, with people crushing everywhere. 

Official seating was abandoned and, it was now a case of every man for himself.

The doors of the City Hall were then firmly closed with many eyewitnesses believing there were thousands locked out. 

Meanwhile, the main event was Martin against Bygraves which was a six two-minute rounds bout.

By all s, Martin’s fight was a tough teak dogged affair.

Bygraves was a class boxer, but Martin was imbued with a spirit, which drove him on to a famous victory. 

The crowd in the hall went delirious, as the huge crowd outside the doors waited on the judge's decision. 

When the official word reached the plinth of the City Hall, it was time for Rourkey to perform.

Rourkey, who was a northside pigeon fancier then hopped on a butter box, and gave an impromptu commentary on a fight that was over, and one he had not seen. 

The large crowded milled around the butter box, listening to a fictitious fight and how Paddy Martin went about dismantling Bygraves. 

Rourkey's captive audience whistled, jerred and cheered as he described the titanic struggle in his mind's eye. 

He ended each round by shaking a brass bell ed by a wooden handle. 

Round by round was recorded, and the crowd were cheering louder outside the Hall than they were inside. 

When Rourkey finally declared Martin the winner, grown men were jumping for joy and throwing their caps in the air, the night Paddy Martin beat Joe Bygraves both inside and outside the City Hall.