Boxing chiefs honour the late Peter O'Donnell at Irish Elite finals

Peter O’Donnell, who was widely regarded as Donegal’s ‘Mr Boxing’, was posthumously honoured by Boxing Ireland at the National Elite finals.

The Raphoe Boxing Club founder, who was the President of the County Donegal Boxing Board, passed away in October following a brief illness.

O’Donnell had become the Voice of Irish Boxing and it was fitting that Irish boxing chief’s chose the Elite finals night to bestow the honour.

The Boxing Ireland President Anto Donnelly presented the award to Paul and Rory O’Donnell at the National Stadium.

“The man whose dulcet and distinctive tones called tens of thousands of boxers to the ring in the home of Irish Boxing, and unveiled many thousands as IABA champions,” the IABA said.

“Peter also represented Ireland on the international stage: he was the joint Team Ireland Manager for the Monkstown International Box Cup in July, and he was Team Manager for the 2024 European Junior Boxing Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“He led Team Ireland at the 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Belgrade and was previously team manager at the 2015 European Elite Championships in Bulgaria.”

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O’Donnell took the microphone from Jack Greene as the ring announcer for the local shows in the 1990s and it was a role he filled on big nights at the National Stadium.

Brendan O Conaire, Joe Vaughan, Joe Hennigan, Paul Loonam Senior, Jim Moore and Paul McCullough Junior were similarly honoured in memoriam on Saturday night.