Raphoe boxing tournament packs a punch as English punchers shine

The boards creaked and the ropes shook on a crisp December night as Raphoe Boxing Club hosted its 34^th annual tournament on Saturday night.

St Paul’s Boxing Academy from Humberside in England came with nine boxers to the Deele College Sports pavilion – and the visitors had six winners on the night.

There was some joy for the hosts when Paddy McGlinchey lifted the roof off with a rollocking display to defeat Carrickmore's Barney Cochran.

Referee Michael McDermott stepped in for a count in the second round of their light-middleweight dust-up, with Cocran shook under a volley from McGlinchey.

Raphoe Boxing Club Tournament Results

Boy 1 36kgs – Tyler Keaveney (Raphoe) lost to Caden Keenan (Twin Towns) 0-3

Boy 2 33kgs – Taylor Parke (Raphoe) v Josh Cairns (Oakleaf) Exhibitions

Boy 4 51kgs – Rian Patton (Raphoe) lost to Marillous Kelly (St Paul's) 0-3

Youth 63.5kgs – Ciaran Crawford (Raphoe) beat Sam Scaum (St Paul's) 3-0

Youth 60kgs – Rylie Doherty (Raphoe) lost to Alfie Getting (St Paul's) 0-3

Senior 57kgs – Tiernan Glennan (St Joseph's) beat Shane Smith (St Paul's) 2-1

Senior 70kgs – Ryan McDaid (Raphoe) lost to Jack Roland (Twin Towns) 0-3

Senior 67kgs – Charles McDonagh (Gleann) lost to Jack Lambert (St Paul's) 0-3

Senior 60kgs – Oisin McHugh (Raphoe) lost to Eric Banas (Cookstown) 0-3

Seenior 70kgs – Paddy McGlinchey (Raphoe) beat Barney Cochran (Carrickmore) AB2

Senior 75kgs – Ryan Cleary (Cookstown) beat Olly Kneeshaw (St Paul's) 2-1

Senior 75kgs – Cathal McLaughlin (Raphoe) lost to Harry Powell (St Paul's) 1-2

Senior 75kgs – Peter Clark (Errigal) lost to Owen Edwards (St Paul's) 0-3

Senior 105kgs – Ryan Haughey (Carrickmore) lost to Miles Horn (St Paul's) 0-3

The crimson trickled from Cochrane's nostrils at the end of the second and McGlinchey, just recently coming back into the sport, didn't need to answer the bell for the start of the third.

In a barnburner of a bout at 63.5kgs Raphoe's Ciaran Crawford took a clean sweep from the judges to defeat St Paul's man Sam Scaum, spurred by a superb opening verse.

Raphoe's flamboyant Cathal McLaughlin was edged out by St Paul's Harry Powell in a middleweight fight where the margins were thin.

Cathal McLaughlin lands a blow on Harry Powell 

McLaughlin took a big shot off Powell at the end of the first, but he responded in kind at the outset of the second.

Powell did take a count and McLaughlin landed a neat left hand in the final seconds of the bout.

The decision rested on the decisive third round and it was Powell who was the victor when the sums were totted: 29-28; 27-30; 28-29.

Rian Patton, a two-time Ulster 9 County champion, was outfoxed by St Paul's Marillous Kelly in a Boy 4 51kgs clash.

Twin Towns puncher Jack Rolland had too much in the tank for Raphoe's Ryan McDaid, taking the win via 29-28 (x2) and 30-27 scorecards before a dominant opening two rounds from Cookstown's classy Eric Banas paved the way for a unanimous decision against Oisin McHugh.

World middleweight title challenger Jason Quigley was among the big attendance alongside Eamonn Coyle, who became Donegal's first ever Irish Elite super-heavyweight champion in 1982.

Scottish puncher Tyler Jolly, who spent last week training at the Raphoe club, and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jude Gallagher – due to fight on the show until a hand injury struck - were also in attendance.

Some of the big crowd watch the fights 

In a cracking bout between two debuting fighters, Twin Towns' Caden Keenan claimed a unanimous decision win over Raphoe's Tyler Keaveney, son of club coach Gerard.

Raphoe's two-time Irish finalist Taylor Parke squared up to Josh Cairns from Oakleaf in an exhibition contest.

There were wins, too, for Tiernan Glennan, the St Joseph's, Derry boxer with 52-time Irish international Roy Nash in his corner and Cookstown's Ryan Cleary, while the nigh drew to a close with impressive successes for St Paul's duo Owen Edwards and Miles Horn.