Donegal boxers Parke and Kearney reach Irish finals

Taylor Parke and Conan Kearney became the latest two Donegal boxers to seal places in Irish finals this week.

Raphoe ABC's Parke and St Bridget's, Clonmany puncher Kearney booked places in finals of their grades at the Boy/Girl 1, 2, 3 Championships in Dublin.

Parke overcame Reese Holohan from Portlaoise in his Boy 2 33kgs semi-final. Parke claimed a unanimous decision.

Parke, who also beat Charlie Conroy (Olympic) earlier in the week, will now meet Immaculata's Lee Largey Snodden in Saturday's final.

Kearney defeated Levi Mongan (Olympic) in his Boy 3 59kgs semi-final having got over Ballyduff's Cody Goggins in a quarter-final.

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Next weekend, Kearney will meet Edward Harty frmo Portlaoise in the final.

This evening, Illies duo Gavin McDaid and Eoghan McCallion will go through the ropes of the National Stadium in Boy 1 finals.

At 43kgs, McDaid will face Wayne Barrett (Titans) with McCallion set to meet another Titans boxer, Dominic Barrett, in the 54kgs decider.

On Saturday, Twin Towns' Molloy Lafferty faces Keelan O'Flynn from St Colman's in the Girl 2 43kgs final.

There was no joy for Brian Anderson (Twin Towns), Eunan Friel (Twin Towns) and Sean Doohan (Dunfanaghy) in their Boy 2 semi-finals.

Anderson went down to Michael Sweeney (Olympic) at 50kgs, Friel was stopped by Martin Sweeney (Galway) in a 54kgs bout while at 59kgs John McDonagh from Galway edged a 3-2 split decision aganist Doohan.

Alesha Mullins Boyle from Dungloe Boxing Club lost out to Madina Bagirova (Smithfield) in a Girl 2 57kgs semi.

Earlier in the week ,Carndonagh’s Colm Callaghan lost out to Callum McMillan from Antrim in a Boy 1 40kgs semi-final.

In the Boy 3 Championships, there were quarter-final defeats for Jack Boyle (Dunfanaghy) against Evan Moore (St Conleth’s) at 65kgs and Letterkenny’s Oisin Bradley at the hands of Spartacus’ Joe Joyce.

In a Boy 1 44.5kgs quarter-final, Convoy’s Oisin O’Donnell was beaten by Jimmy McDonagh (Leeside Lough) on a 4-1 split decision.

In all, 511 boxers are contesting the tournaments, which continue until April 30th, with a total of 15 boxers from Donegal clubs taking part.