Donegal boxers to contest finals at Belfast Halloween Box Cup

Donegal boxers will line up in finals at the County Antrim Belfast Halloween Box Cup on Bank Holiday Monday.

Raphoe Boxing Club pair Gary McNamara and Taylor Parke will be joined by Twin Towns BC duo Caoimhin Connolly and Joey O’Hara as well as Dunfanaghy BC men Conor McFadden and Shaun Doohan and Carndonagh’s Rocco McDaid.

The tournament began on Saturday and will conclude on Monday at the Girdwood Community Hub.

McNamara had a walkover in his semi-final following the withdrawal of St George’s Corey McDermott. McNamara - who overcame East Down’s Connor Davis on a 2-1 split in the quarter-final - will now face Francesco Pio By Spazio from the Fiamme Oro club in the 63kgs final after he overcame Oscar Mallon from St Agnes’ in his semi-final.

Parke - a two-time Irish champion this year - will meet Lisburn’s Danny Grigorjeva in a 38kgs final.

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Like McNamara, Parke had a walkover with Barney McQuaid from Armagh withdrawing, while Grigorjeva defeated Clovenstone’s Laiaind Donald.

At 46kgs, Connolly defeated Ciaran Lane. Connolly took the unanimous decision from the judges and the Twin Towns man will meet Callum Crilly after the St Bronagh’s man overcame St Paul’s Kevin Rafferty on a split decision.

O’Hara swooped to an excellent win over Luke Duncan from Ederney in a middleweight semi-final.

O’Hara will now face Sacred Heart’s Philip Rooney, who stopped Odhran Sloan in their clash.

McFadden defeated Ben McKeown on a unanimous decision to reach the boy 1 36kgs final. There, he will meat Swords’ Rhys Kinsella, who took a narrow 2-1 split decision against Banbride man Franky Mooney. On Saturday, McFadden had a UD win over Arden’s Adam McCann.

Carndonagh’s McDaid (60kgs) and Doohan (70kgs) have also received walkover paths to the finals while Illies Golden Gloves’ Eva Bradley (girl 1 40kgs) and Lani Lafferty of Twin Towns (youth 70kgs) are assured of titles via walkovers.

David Tennyson, who won the under-17 lightweight gold at the recent HSK Box Cup in Denmark, bowed out following a UD loss against Sean Gray from Clonard.

Luke Kelly of Dunfanaghy was beaten by Fionn Dines (Dealgan) at 66kgs on a UD and his club mate Conor Durning was on the wrong end of a UD at the hands of Scared Heart Belfast’s Ethan Benson.

Another Dunfanaghy puncher, Nanci McMonagle was stopped by Hannah Masterson from Clonard in their 54kgs meeting.

Raphoe’s Ryley Doherty lost on a UD to Cormac Curley (Star) at 57kgs, Raphoe’s Rian Patton was on the wrong end of a 3-0 decision against Hayden Fisher (Clovenstone) at 52kgs, while Kerry Brown of Convoy BC was beaten on a UD by Ballina’s Kelsey Langan.

Carndonagh’s Noah Quinn lost on a UD in a boy 1 42kgs semi-final against Dukes’ Conan McLaughlin.

On Saturday, there were semi-final defeats for Cassie Lynch from Illies (girl 1 44kgs) against Jessica O’Hara of Immaculata; Caris McFadden from Dunfanaghy BC (junior cadet 42kgs) at the hands of Dealgan’s Daisy Kieran; Colm Callaghan from Carndonagh (junior cadet 50kgs), who lost against Francis Regan from Immaculata.