National senior titles for Raphoe BC duo Danny Duffy, Cathal McLaughlin

Raphoe Boxing Club duo Danny Duffy and Cathal McLaughlin were crowned National Senior champions over the weekend.

Duffy sealed the bantamweight title on Friday night with McLaughlin adding the middleweight crown on Saturday.

The National Seniors are the former Intermediate Championships and the Raphoe club had a superb weekend at the National Stadium.

Just six months ago, Duffy lost his mother and two other members of his family in a horror crash, but he has returned to boxing in memorable fashion, winning Donegal, Ulster and now Irish titles.

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On April 27, Danny’s mother, Christine McKane, her brother Dan McKane and their aunt Julia McSorley were killed in a road traffic accident near Aughnacloy, County Tyrone.

The three, all natives of Strabane, were traveling from from a family funeral in England when the minibus in which they were traveling collided with a lorry.

Duffy was first in finals action on Friday night in Dublin, beating Oisin Worsencroft from St Colman’s. A clash of heads in the second round saw the bout halted. When the sums were totted from the judges at the time of the stoppage, Duffy was well ahead and, officially, claimed a unanimous decision verdict.

Danny Duffy after winning his final.

McLaughlin was the underdog for his middleweight showdown with TJ King. The Ballyboughal man is the Irish U22 champion and won the Celtic Box Cup in September.

McLaughlin, who had wins over Ola Wahab (Midleton) and Peter Convery (St John’s, Derry) defeated Mulhuddart’s Richard O’Leary in a 75kgs semi-final on Friday night.

He returned to upset the odds with a superb win over King. McLaughlin, who has been in and out of the sport for periods over the last decade, was announced the winner on a 4-1 split decision.

On Friday night, Cahir Gormley of Illies Golden Gloves was beaten by David O’Neill from Charleville in a 67kgs semi-final, while Ballyshannon BC’s Daniel Byrne was stopped by Santry’s Harry Geraghty in a 92+kgs semi-final.