Donegal quartet learn their fate for National Elite Championships

Four Donegal boxers will look to add their names to the county’s National Elite Championship winners in November.

Letterkenny Boxing Club’s Paddy McShane is in the featherweight mix with Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Gloves entering at light middleweight while Raphoe BC duo Danny Duffy and Cathal McLaughlin will step onto the big stage having won National Senior titles recently.

McShane won the flyweight title in 2021 when beating Paudraic Downey from Antrim on a 3-2 split decision, but lost out to Jordan Smith in a quarter-final of the most recent Elite Championship, which took place in January.

McShane begins against former champion Adam Hession in a category that is littered with talent.

Dylan Eagleson is a European and Commonwealth medalist while reigning champ Paul Loonam and Newtownstewart’s Commonwealth gold medallist Jude Gallagher are also in the running, but Patryk Adamus - a World Third Level gold medalist - is out.

Dungloe man McCole is a multiple Irish Colleges titlist and has been to the Elite stage previously.

The Illies Golden Gloves light-middle opens his bid for glory against Drimnagh’s Gavin Bradshaw. Although Olympic bronze medalist Aidan Walsh has withdrawn, the likes of title holder rDean Walsh and Wayne Kelly, who has numerous Elite crowns to his name, give this division a formidable feel.

Duffy and McLaughlin will make their Elite Championship debuts with Duffy going straight to the bantamweight final.

The Raphoe puncher will face a rematch with Oisin Worsencroft, who he defeated in the senior final. An accidental clash of heads between the pair saw the fight stopped in the second round, at which stage Duffy was well in front in the eyes of the judges. Duffy will now meet Worsencroft, from the St Colman’s BC in Cork.

Duffy was a late entrant in the 54kgs division for the Elite Championships and he’ll be joined by club mate McLaughlin, who goes at middleweight.

McLaughlin has been given a bye to the semi-finals, where he meets the winner of the quarter-final clash between Crumlin’s Jack Brady and Joshua Olaniyan from Jobstown.

McLaughlin will look to emulate Danny Ryan, who became Raphoe BC’s first elite king at middleweight in 1993, and Jason Quigley, who landed the middleweight title in 2013, when he heads for the National Stadium.