ULSTER boxers have finished 2024 with a flourish after a busy weekend at home and abroad, as the countdown clock now ticks towards next month’s Ulster Elite Championships.
They will take place at Belfast’s Girdwood Community Hub from January 22-24, with plenty of up-and-coming talent chomping at the bit to make their senior bows, while established boxers from across the north bid to cement their status.
Before that, though, there was still plenty of pre-Christmas action to whet the appetite, with an Ulster High Performance team heading out to Warsaw for the Jerzy Kulej Capital Team Cup at the weekend.
Alongside coaches Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s), Matthew Toner (Kilkeel GG) and Kevin Morgan (Ormeau Road), as well as R&J JP Turley (McCullagh’s), the five Ulster boxers showed their class by picking up seven wins from 10 contests – picking up the coveted best team award in Poland.
St Bronagh’s fly Connie Gibbons, Star’s JP Hale, Erne’s Anthony Malanaphy and Illies GG light-middle Matthew McCole, among those who will defend his Ulster crown next month, picked up opening day wins over Romanian opposition, with Cookstown lightweight Erik Banas just edged out on a split decision.
Three of the remaining Ulster contingent - Malanaphy, McCole and Banas - won their second bouts against Polish opponents, with Malanaphy, competing at 67kg, named best male boxer, while Hale’s final was declared the fight of the tournament.
Elsewhere, a seven-strong County Antrim team headed to Rome for a dual match on Friday and Saturday night.
Eddie Reilly (St Paul’s), Niall Hall (Saints), Jamie Graham (Clonard) and Reuben Monaghan (Emerald) all recorded wins in a 4-3 opening night success, with Marcus Orehov (Bangor Abbey), Awley Davidson (Larne) and Joe Ritchie (St John Bosco) losing out in close calls.
The second night’s action, however, went the way of the Italians as the hosts claimed a 3-0 win.
“All boxers fought excellently and left it all in the ring, doing their clubs proud,” said a County Antrim Board spokesperson.
Paige Nickels, of Banbridge Boxing Club, has had plenty to celebrate too after becoming the first female boxer from the north to win the UK National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs (NABGC) Class A 54kg Championship.
Competing in Bridlington, Nickels produced an outstanding performance in the final, securing a unanimous decision victory over English champion Ellie Spencer. This achievement places Paige in a prestigious group, as only a handful of boxers from the north have ever claimed an NABGC title.
Closer to home, meanwhile, a County Tyrone/Fermanagh/Donegal select faced County Galway on Saturday, with Galway running out 13-3 winners. With eight split decisions, the final result could have been closer.
On Friday night, a County Derry team travelled to St Colm’s High School in Belfast to face County Antrim – and there were some Christmas crackers between the ropes as County Antrim claimed a 13-2 win, with Oscar McGarry (Glengormley), Jason Brown (St Paul’s), Franky Mooney (Banbridge), Adrian Close (Ledley Hall), Jerry McCann (Corpus Christi), Callum Binks (Rathfriland), Cormac Smyth (St John Bosco), Conor Dowds (Immaculata), Finlay Aston (Bangor Abbey), Jude Reilly (Immaculata), Taylor Russell (Canal) and Odhran Sloan (Star) all having their hand raised, while Joel Brown (Ledley Hall) and Sean Gray (Clonard) won via walkover.
Earlier in the evening, Ardoyne’s Aidan Scullion came up trumps in his Antrim 6s boy 4 57kg final against Niall McCarthy (St George’s).
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A MAGIC NIGHT FOR THE MEN FROM THE MARKETS
In the latest of a series reflecting on past Ulster championships, Denis O’Hara remembers an unforgettable night for the men from the Markets…
THE Ulster finals of 1952 proved a sensational stand-out season for the boxers of Belfast’s St George’s club.
The brilliant bunch from Catherine Street North contested seven of the 10 titles on offer at the Ulster Hall, winning six championships, helping the Markets marvels capture the title ‘Cradle of Champions’.
The remarkable assault on the championships did not start all that brightly as ‘wee’ George O’Neill lost in the bantamweight decider to future Olympic silver medallist John McNally of White City.
Rugged featherweight ‘Red’ Paddy Graham started the ball rolling by beating Bobby McAvoy of Short and Harlands. Next through the ropes was lightweight Bobby Hastie, defeating S Sloan of Short and Harlands.
Then it was the turn of welterweight Billy Wright, overcoming Des Skillen (Crown).
Into the heavier weight grades saw Rathfriland-connected Belfast fireman George Lavery beat Portadown’s Frank Hamill for the middleweight laurels.
Tommy Norton then clinched the light heavy crown with a win against A McIntyre (North End) and John Lyttle took the sixth piece of silverware by defeating North End heavyweight Ronnie Hendry.
The remaining weight category crowns were snapped up by Star flyweight Jimmy Carson, beating Bosco’s Jim Matthews; the remarkable ring general Terry Milligan, of Short and Harlands, defeated club colleague Paddy McAuley for the light-welter honours.
And Monaghan ‘s tough Maurice Loughran, fresh from winning the Ulster and Irish junior titles, beat F Bathgate (Crown) for the light-middle title.
It is interesting to note that most of the fighters involved that night later turned to the professional ranks - Carson (15-15-1 pro chart), Matthews (5-2) Loughran (7-6), Lyttle (5-1), Norton (0-4), Lavery (19-5-2), Killough-born Graham (33-19-1), O’Neill (20-26-2) and McNally (14-9-2).
