Through the ropes again: Boxing back in Donegal after two-year absence

Boxing made its competitive return in Donegal after a near-two-year absence at the weekend.

The Donegal Open/Novice Championships took place with 19 finals on show.

St Bridget’s ABC of Clonmany hosted the Championships at the Clonmany Community Centre across two days of action on Saturday and Sunday.

Illies Golden Gloves were celebrating wins for Cormac Callaghan, James Gibbons, Adam McGinley and Charlie Duffy.

Dunree’s Dylan McDaid had his hand raised in the Youth 1 60kgs final.

This was the first slice of competitive boxing in Donegal since March 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the sport wiped out in the interim. Saturday represented a seismic day with Donegal’s young pugilists finally able to go through the ropes again.

A healthy entry saw 117 boxers take to the scales. There were 18 finals on Saturday and another one on Sunday with eleven special contests matches on day two.

This weekend, the North West Zones Championships take placed at the Oakleaf Boxing Club in Derry with boxing on Saturday and Sunday.

These Championships are open to girls and boys aged 14-17 and the winners will go forward to the Ulster fin as, which take place in Clonmany on February 27.

A place in the Irish Championships will be up for grabs when the boxers go to the Clonmany canvas.

2022 Donegal Open/Novice Championships - Results

Boy 1 33kgs Cormac Callaghan (Illies) beat Calvin Logue (Carndonagh) 5-0

Boy 2 56kgs Shaun Doohan (Dunfanaghy) beat Eunan Friel (Twin Towns) RSC

Boy 3 50kgs David Tennyson (Dungloe) beat Fintan Robertson (St Bridget’s) 5-0

Boy 4 54kgs James Gibbons (Illies) beat Noah Rafferty (St Bridget’s) 5-0

Boy 4 60kgs Adam McGinley (Illies) beat Reece McFarland (Convoy) 5-0

Youth 1 60kgs Dylan McDaid (Dunree) beat Dermot Doherty (St Bridget’s) 5-0

Youth 1 70kgs Anthony Doohan (Dunfanaghy) W/O

Youth 2 66kgs Ciaran Crawford (Raphoe) beat Charlie Leader (Letterkenny) 5-0

U18 67kgs Daire Feeeney (Raphoe) beat Jason McGalloway (Dunree) 5-0

U18 60kgs Antony Shaji (Carndonagh) W/O

U18 86kgs Jimmy O’Donnelll (Convoy) beat Shay Doherty (Twin Towns) RSC

Senior 63.5kgs Alex McAleer (Ballyshannon) beat Sean Meaney (Dunree) 5-0

Senior 71kgs Charlie Duffy (Illies) W/O

Senior 92kgs John Louder (Twin Towns) beat Darragh McDermott (Carndonagh) 4-1

Senior 92+kgs Daniel Byrne (Ballyshannon) beat Noel Cahoon (Dunree)