Peter O'Donnell and Jim McCole honoured for service by Ulster Boxing Council

Two Donegal men were honoured by the Ulster Boxing Council for their services to the sweet science at the weekend.

Raphoe Boxing Club stalwart Peter O’Donnell and Dungloe’s Jim McCole were each recognised.

The awards were presented during the Ulster Elite Championship finals at the Girdwood Community Hub in Belfast on Saturday.

O’Donnell received the Eugene Duffy Perpetual Cup for his work with McCole also honoured with an award. McCole follows the footsteps of his father, the late Hudie McCole, who was previously a recipient.

O’Donnell was the MC for the finals, a role he regularly fills at local, provincial and national levels.

Last year, he was the manager of the Ireland team for the 2024 EUBC Junior Boys and Girls European Boxing Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Irish won seven medals - two gold and five bronze.

He managed Ireland at the 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Belgrade and was previously team manager at the 2015 European Elite Championships in Bulgaria, where Joe Ward and Michael Conlan won gold and Dean Walsh took a bronze medal.

McCole was a long-time coach at Dungloe Boxing Club until a freak accident in 2019 left him with lifelong spinal injuries.

He was previously described as “a vital piece of the Dungloe boxing team as well as being a top coach, powerful motivator, positive role model for the youth of the area for over 20 years”.

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One of his sons, Matthew, took part in the light-middleweight final on Saturday, but lost out to Jon McConnell from Holy Trinity.