Belfast Box Cup glory for Donegal boxers

Taylor Parke and Caoimhin Connolly were toasting success at the County Antrim Belfast Halloween Box Cup on Bank Holiday Monday.

Raphoe Boxing Club’s Parke and Connolly, representing Twin Towns BC, took the junior cadet 38kgs and senior cadet 46kgs titles at the Girdwood Community Hub.

Parke grabbed a unanimous decision win over Danny Grigorjewa from Lisburn.

Parke won the Irish Boy 3 and Junior Cadet titles earlier this year and continued his excellent form in Belfast.

The Glenmaquin man had a walkover in his semi-final when Barney McQuaid from Armagh withdrew, while Grigorjeva defeated Clovenstone’s Laiaind Donald.

Connolly also took a unanimous decision from the judges in his joust with Callum Crilly from St Branagh’s.

In the semi-final, Connolly defeated Ciaran Lane with Crilly booking his place in the final via a split decision win over St Paul’s Kevin Rafferty.

There were walkover wins for Illies Golden Gloves duo Roisin Hegarty (girl 1 54kgs) and Eva Bradley (girl 1 40kgs) as well as Lani Lafferty of Twin Towns (youth 70kgs).

Caoimhin Connolly celebrates his win.

Dunfanaghy’s Conor McFadden was stopped by Rhys Kinsella from Swords in the boy 1 36kgs final and Shaun Doohan, also of Dunfanaghy, lost out to Conor McCrory, the Townland man stopping the junior cadet 70kgs bout in round two.

Carndonagh’s Rocco McDaid was stopped by Rome’s Mirko Varamo in a junior cadet 60kgs final and his club mate Kyrin Kelly lost on a UD to Ronan Sands of St Oliver Plunkett in the junior cadet 66kgs final.

Raphoe BC”s Gary McNamara was on the wrong end of a UD decision against Francesco Pio By Spazio from Fiamme Oro in a senior cadet 63kgs final and Joey O’Hara went down at the hands of Sacred Heart’s Philio Rooney in a youth middleweight final.