Illies Golden Gloves land the knockout titles at Donegal boxing's big bash

The great and the good of the sweet science in Donegal gathered in the Finn Suite of Jackson’s Hotel on Saturday as the 75th anniversary of the County Donegal Boxing Board was marked in style.

The annual Donegal Boxing Awards were held in tandem with a celebration of the county board’s big milestone.

The top gongs were collected by the Illies Golden Gloves, who won the best club award with Matthew McCole receiving the Harry ‘Kid’ Duffy Award, given to the best elite boxer and Cahir Gormley taking the John McLaughlin award for the best senior boxer. 

In June, McCole became Donegal’s 18th Irish elite champion - and the first to win the light-middleweight title since Paddy Doherty in 1970 and 1971. At the Girdwood Community Club in Belfast, the Illies southpaw overcame Eugene McKeever. Matthew also won an Irish Third Level title back in March.

He won on his senior international debut in Enniskillen and fought at the recent World Championships in Liverpool, where he was the victim of a poor judging decision. 

Gormley, who won the Irish Intermediate 71kgs crown, was named as the best senior boxer. 

The Illies Golden Gloves club took the Jimmy Murphy Award for the best overall club. 

Only formed in 1998, the Illies Golden Gloves is one of the youngest but one of the most successful clubs in Donegal. 

The club has won an astonishing 53 Irish titles while club coach Stephen Friel worked at two Commonwealth Games - New Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 - and Sadie Duffy is an AIBA accredited three-star referee/judge who was the first female referee/judge in Ireland.

Last season, Cahir Gormley and Matthew McCole won three Irish titles between them and represented Ireland.

Rising Twin Towns BC ace Caoimhin Connolly was given the Billy ‘Spider’ Kelly award for best youth having won the Irish Youth 48kgs final.

Young stars Alesha Mullis-Boyle, Katelyn O’Donnell (both Dungloe) and Taylor Parke (Raphoe) also scooped individual awards.

Former world champion Andy Lee was the guest of honour. Lee won the WBO world middleweight title in 2014, famously stopping Matt Korobov in Las Vegas.

Previously, Lee won World junior silver, EU Championship silver and European Championship silver medals and is now one of the world’s leading trainers.

Donegal’s own former world title challenger Jason Quigley, a decorated amateur who won three European gold medals and a World Elite silver, was also present.

Read next: In Pictures: Andy Lee the special guest as Donegal Boxing celebrates 75 years

Other stars of the sport included: former British and European lightweight champ Charlie Nash from Derry, who challenged Jim Watt for the WBC world lightweight title; Paul McCloskey from Dungiven who won the British super-lightweight and EBU European super-lightweight titles - beating Barry Morrison in Letterkenny in 2010; Shaun McGoldrick from Wales (and with strong family connections in Donegal) who won a Commonwealth Games gold in 2010 and a bronze in 2014 before going 13-1 as a pro; and Ballybofey man Steven O’Reilly, a 13-time Irish champion who won European Schoolboys 68kgs gold in 2004, becoming the first Donegal boxer to win European gold in the process.

Buncrana native Mark Porter jetted in from Boston for the night while former St John Bosco puncher Conal Thomas travelled up from Cork for the night.

All of the former Presidents of the County Donegal Boxing Board (16 people) were honoured on the night, including the incumbent Peter O’Donnell. Best wishes were conveyed to the Raphoe Boxing Club stalwart who is laid up in hospital and whose award was acceptedted by his grandson, Caolan O’Donnell.

The idea for a County Donegal Boxing Board was formalised on September 5, 1950, at the Boxing Championships of Donegal, which were held in the Mental Hospital Dining Hall, at St Conal’s in Letterkenny.

Affiliated clubs took the decision to form a County Donegal Boxing Board. This was revealed at McFeely’s Restaurant at a function that night, when the cups and medals were presented by Dr JP McGinley, who was the first President of the Board. 

The Board was appointed on September 18, 1950 at the first meeting of the Board.

2025 COUNTY DONEGAL BOXING BOARD AWARDS

Jimmy Murphy Award, Best Overall Club: Illies Golden Gloves 

Harry ‘Kid’ Duffy Award, Best Elite Boxer: Matthew McCole (Illies Golden Gloves)

John McLaughlin Award, Best Senior Boxer: Cahir Gormley (Illies Golden Gloves)

Billy ‘Spider’ Kelly Award, Best Youth: Caoimhin Connolly (Twin Towns)

James White Award, Most Improved Boxer: Eddie McBride (Dunfanaghy Boxing Club)

Johnny McDaid Award, Best Overall Female: Alesha Mullis-Boyle (Dungloe Boxing Club)

Dr Denis McLaughlin Award, Best Junior: Taylor Parke (Raphoe Boxing Club)

Michael Bonner Cup, Best Juvenile: Katelyn O’Donnell (Dungloe Boxing Club)

Conal Thomas Cup, Best Coach: Robert Kearney (St Bridget’s BC, Clonmany)

The Presidents Cup, Most Active Referee/Judge: Thomas McCarron (Carrigart Boxing Club)

Mark Porter, Most Active Boxer: David Tennyson (Derryveagh Boxing Club)

Hall of Fame: Dominic McCafferty (Convoy Boxing Club); John Mulhern (Carndonagh Boxing Club)

Appreciation Awards: Daniel Callaghan (Carndonagh Boxing Club); James McCarron (Carrigart Boxing Club)

Special Recognition: Mary McCarron (Carrigart Boxing Club); Michael McDermott (Dunfanaghy Boxing Club)

Presidents Awards: Dr Jp McGinley; Rev P Cunningham; Pearse McMahon; Gerry Daly; Jim Callaghan; Niall McLaughlin; PJ McGettigan; Tommy Stewart; Jack Green; Jackie McMonagle; Brian Anderson Jnr; Michael Herrity; Dominic McCafferty; Stephen Friel; Tommy McCarron; Peter O’Donnell.

Irish champions: Tegan McCarron (Carrigart Boxing Club) - Girl 2 75+kgs and Under-15 75+kgs; Katelyn O’Donnell (Dungloe Boxing Club) - Girl 2 49kgs; Roisin Hegarty (Twin Towns Boxing Club) - Under-15; Carys McFadden (Dunfanaghy Boxing Club) - Youth 1 46kgs and senior cadet 46kgs; Taylor Parke (Raphoe Boxing Club) - Youth 1 46kgs; Aleshia Mullis-Boyle (Dungloe Boxing Club) - Youth 1 66kgs and senior cadet 66kgs; Kerry Brown (Convoy Boxing Club) - Youth 2 60kgs; Caoimhin Connolly (Twin Towns) - Under-18 48kgs; Cahir Gormley (Illies Golden Gloves) - Intermediate 71kgs; Matthew McCole (Illies Golden Gloves) - Third Level 71kgs and Elite 70kg

International duty awards: Caoimhin Connolly (Twin Towns) - Ireland v India; Aleshia Mullis-Boyls (Dungloe) - Irish team world of Havoc USA (Gold); Carys McFadden (Dunfanaghy) - Irish team world of Havoc USA (silver); Matthew McCole (Illies) - Ireland v Austria; Thomas McCarron (Carrigart) - Ireland v Wales; Maeve McCarron (Carrigart) - Ireland v Wales; Gary McBride (Dunfanaghy) - Ireland v Wales; Peter O’Donnell (Raphoe)

Referee/Judge awards: Brian Mulholland (Annagry); Declan Doherty (Carndonagh); Shane Quinn (Carndonagh); Labhaoise Callaghan (Carndonagh); Charles O’Donnell (Annagry); David Tennyson (Derryveagh)

Fundamentals coaching awards: James Sharkey (Annagry); Paul Kelly (Twin Towns); Jackie Gillespie (Twin Towns); Kevin Connolly (Twin Towns); Jason McGilloway (Dunree); Connell Boyle (Dungloe); Matthew McCole (Dungloe); Fintan Robertson (St Bridgets); Michelle Kearney (St Bridgets); Catherine Glackin (St Bridgets); David Tennyson (Derryveagh); Pol O Gallchoir (Annagry); Kieran Donaghy (St John Bosco); Sean Feeney (Letterkenny); Laila McBride (Annagry); Stephanie McDyer (Annagry); Kieran Boyle (Annagry); James McDevitt (Annagry); Linda Gallagher (Annagry); Charles O’Donnell (Annagry)

Level 1 coaching awards: John Caldwell (Carrigart); Brian Mulholland (Annagry); Michael O’Neill (Annagry)

Coaching awards: Ballyshannon Boxing Club Alex McAleer; Dungloe Boxing Club - Alesha Mullis Boyle; St John Bosco - Isla McShane; Twin Towns - Caoimhin Connolly; Convoy - Isabella Iwanek; Carrigart - Faolan Caldwell; Dunree - Thomas Doyle; Illies Golden Gloves - Daniel Christian; Dunfanaghy - Shaun Doohan; Letterkenny - Isla Larkin; Carndonagh - Noah Quinn; St Bridget’s - Ryan Glackin; Raphoe - Hannah Lee Peoples; Annagry - Eve Logue