De Courcey Boxing Club are promoting a boxing super show to take place on May 4th

Cork’s Boxing Club of the Year De Courcey Boxing Club, based in Bandon, are promoting a boxing super show to take place on Sunday, 4th May next.

The venue will be the Town Hall, and it promises to be a day of spectacular boxing. 

With clubs coming from Cork, Munster and various parts of the country, this will be an occasion to saviour for all boxing enthusiasts.

In recent years the club have organised many outstanding events. 

These include tours to the USA where they have created great sporting links with boxing officials in Pennsylvania. 

De Courcey equally have promoted many great club shows in Cork.

The driving force behind this highly motivated club is their head coach Will Rossall. 

Will believes the rising tide of Cork boxing success enjoyed in recent years has raised the standards in all Cork clubs. 

Rossall said this.

“From juvenile to senior boxing, Cork is flourishing and our tournament will enhance the standards."

De Courcey BC have raised the boxing bar on Leeside on many occasions and the coming event will according to Rossall, sur all.

This will be a history-making event for Cork boxing as it is the first tournament ever to present a specially commissioned boxing belt to the winner of each of the 16 bouts on the card.

The prestigious belts and souvenir medals have been carefully designed by Will Rossall.

“I hope all will enjoy this boxing occasion we have planned it very carefully and we expect a bumper crowd."

Rossall is assisted in the organisation of this event by a great hard working committee, which includes his wife, Fionna, and Andrew Hayes, David Burke, Margaret Hayes and Pauline O’Regan.

There will be a special draw on the day and the proceeds from this will go to two designated charities, the “Feed Cork Foundation” and “Autism Awareness”. 

“It is important to appreciate what we have in life by not forgetting others.

“Boxing in itself can turn pages, to help and creates opportunities for some who struggle with adversity, leading to creating a more positive perspectives in their life style."

The club will insure a tremendous atmosphere will prevail at this carnival of boxing. 

Dignitaries from the world of business, politics and sport will be in attendance, as all roads lead to the Town Hall, Bandon on Sunday, 4th May commencing with first bell at 1.30pm.

Elsewhere, last week the Kerry Maestro Mick O’Dwyer ed away. 

He was 88 years of age, and received a great send off from all codes from a very appreciate public. 

Prior to his appointment as the Kerry Manager in 1975, Mick O’Dwyer came to Cork over the years when he got injured in either club games or inter-county matches.

O’Dwyer had a great faith in Tim O’Sullivan, the former international boxer, who operated a very professional and successful physiotherapy business from his office in Maylor Street, where he practised for over 50 years. 

During his own career, O’Dwyer when he got knocks or sustained match injuries, he would always travel to Cork and attend at Tim’s clinic.

During those years, O’Sullivan was also a chartered physio to service the touring All-Blacks, South African and Australian Rugby touring teams. 

He enjoyed a reputation as one of the top physios in the country at that time. 

Christy Ring and many Cork hurlers from that era would be regularly seen in Maylor Street. 

The then trainer of the Cork hurling team was Jim Barry, better known as ‘tough Barry.’ 

He was a former Cork boxer who would direct the players to Timmy and he would insure that the Cork County GAA Board would pay fees promptly.

Mick O’Dwyer, following his appointment as manager to that very young team in 1975, none of whom was married, requested Timmy to act as the Kerry physio for the year. 

The Corkman was delighted to be asked and readily accepted the offer.

Kerry won that All-Ireland title, and went on to become legends. 

For years after that, many Kerry players availed of the boxing man’s physio service.

Tim practised many of the methods he advised athletes to follow during their careers and this helped him to stay on the pitch of life until his 93rd year.

Meanwhile, this week another great Cork boxing man will celebrate his 94th birthday, Mick Devane who gave Trojan service to Riverstown BC and worked in many capacities for the Cork County Boxing Board continues to enjoy reading The Echo on a daily basis.

He likes to keep in touch with Cork boxing and is an avid reader of the weekly boxing page. 

Mick gets out for a walk most days, and meets his great GAA friend Denis Hurley, the president of Sarsfield Hurling Club. 

Mick is a great man to recall many sports stories from yester year, and his brain is still razor sharp. 

On behalf of all in Cork boxing circles, we extend best wishes to Mick and, continued good health as he looks forward to the ‘McCarthy Cup’ returning to Leeside later this year.