WHEN IT WAS all over and the final bell had sounded, Raphoe ABC could reflect on a solid night of action for its boxers, young and old, new and seasoned.
Raphoe’s annual tournament, held at Deele College, proved a huge hit with 15 bouts down for decision and the host club ending the night with eight wins to their name, surely pleasing for Head Coach Gary McCullagh and his coaches Paul O’Donnell and Gerard Keaveney.
Two of their seasoned punchers, Dennis Lafferty and Danny Duggan, won the final two bouts, Lafferty overcoming Christopher Calloo and Duggan defeating Danny Boyle.
Lafferty is a former Irish Colleges finalist and recently travelled to Philadelphia as part of a North-West select, winning his bout in America against Ryshine Collins.
[adrotate group=”85″]Ballindrait man Lafferty shone tonight on the home show, defeating St John Bosco’s Calloo with a unanimous decision. Lafferty hurt a hand in the first round, but battled on and landed some ferocious blows to catch the eye of both Calloo and the judges.
Picture caption: Dennis Lafferty (left) and Christopher Calloo with Geoffrey Dolan
St Johnston native Duggan battled it out with Dungloe’s Boyle for three punishing rounds. Duggan seemed to have earned a clean sweep, but when the sums were totted, it was a split decision in the Raphoe welter’s favour.
Duggan caught Boyle with a couple of fine body hits in the first verse, but Boyle responded in the second.
Twice in the third, first with a fine left-right combo and then with another telling blow to the body, Duggan rocked his opponent and he landed the cleaner, deadlier shots in this one.
Eoin McGarrell was regarded as one of the top up-and-coming boxers in the Finn Valley ABC in recent years, but has recently made the move to Raphoe – and had his first bout here in the green best of Raphoe.
McGarrell was the Irish Boy 2 33kgs champion in 2014, when he overcame Limerick’s Myles Casey.
‘Bullet’ landed some crisp shots here, including a neat combination in the third round, but he was beaten by St Canice’s, Dungiven man Callum Conwell in a Youth 1 48kgs fight.
Conwell was the busier and the sharper of the two, although, in time, McGarrell will prove a useful addition to Gary McCullagh’s stable in Raphoe.
Ballindrait woman Cody Lafferty has been a year out of the sport due to an injury, but the Deele College student was back in action here upon the home canvas.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Lafferty won the Raphoe club’s first national title in 21 years when she defeated Fiona O’Keefe from Rathkeale in the Girl 1 31kgs decider in Dublin.
Lafferty showed a little rustiness at times here, but there were still moments in a meeting with Shaniah McCloskey when those talents were on show again.
Carndonagh’s McCloskey edged the verdict from the ringside judges, taking the win via a split decision.
Cody Lafferty and Shaniah McCloskey with Eamonn Coyle and the fight referee
Lafferty conceded a few inches in height and reach to the Carndonagh woman and McCloskey made that count in the third stanza.
Lafferty jabbed well in the early exchanges and gave as good as she got for much of the contest, but it was McCloskey’s hand that went up, the Carn woman doing enough for the win.
Letterkenny ABC’s Martin McConigley was always in command against Mikey McDaid of Raphoe, the local man taking two standing counts from the referee, Michael McDermott.
McDaid lasted the distance, but it was McConigley’s contest by a good distance.
The night opened with Barry Ward of Letterkenny ABC claiming a win over Raphoe’s Lee Doherty, but Brendan O’Hagan – son of 2002 All-Ireland-winning Armagh player Barry – hit back for the hosts with a success against Darragh Wallace of Dungloe.
[adrotate group=”53″]Danny Buchannan of Raphoe dominated against Dunree’s David Gallinagh and Oran Devine impressed on his way to a controlled victory, putting Hugh Doherty of St Bridget’s, Clonmany to the sword.
Last Sunday in the Halfway House, Raphoe’s Liam Crawford overcame Dungloe’s Adam Boyle to take home an Ulster 9 Counties title.
Tonight, Crawford was beaten by Dunfanaghy’s Orin Duggan, but there was joy for Ballindrait resident Crawford, who was presented with the Billy ‘Spider’ Kelly Memorial Shield by Raphoe ABC President Tommy Stewart (above), winning the club’s boxer of the year prize.
Raphoe’s Liam McMonagle – who was given the Brendan Ryan Memorial Shield for the Best Youth Boxer at the club for the year (below) – shaded his meeting with Dungloe’s Oisin Wallace, but Dungiven’s Tiarnan O’Kane had too much for Raphoe ABC’s Darragh Devine in a Youth contest.
The hard-hitting William J Callaghan of Carndonagh powered to glory against Raphoe’s Conor McGurk in a welterweight fight.
Callaghan drew blood from McGurk in the third frame on his way to a comfortable win.
Ronan Kelly, a cousin of Irish youth captain Brett McGinty, had the measure of Dunree’s Charlie Duffy in an entertaining 70kgs scrap.
Among those in the crowd were former Irish featherweight champion Damien McDermott, former Irish super-heavyweight champion Eamonn Coyle and Councillor Frank McBrearty Junior, an Ulster champion in his time with the Raphoe club.
RESULTS – Raphoe ABC tournament
Boy 2 50kgs Lee Doherty (Raphoe) lost to Barry Ward (Letterkenny) 0-3
Boy 2 39kgs Brendan O’Hagan (Raphoe) beat Darragh Wallace (Dungloe) 3-0
Boy 2 60kgs Mikey McDaid (Raphoe) lost to Martin McConigley (Letterkenny) 0-3
Boy 1 36kgs Aaron McDaid (Raphoe) beat Bernie Stokes (St Canice’s) 3-0
Boy 2 50kgs Liam Crawford (Raphoe) lost to Orin Duggan (Dunfanaghy) 0-3
Boy 3 48kgs Danny Buchannan (Raphoe) beat David Gallinagh (Dunree) 3-0
Girl 4 44kgs Cody Lafferty (Raphoe) lost to Shaniah McCloskey (Carndonagh) 1-2
Youth 1 48kgs Eoin McGarrell (Raphoe) lost to Callum Conwell (St Canice’s) 0-3
Boy 4 64kgs Oran Devine (Raphoe) beat Hugh Doherty (St Bridget’s) 3-0
Boy 4 54kgs Liam McMonagle (Raphoe) beat Oisin Wallace (Dungloe) 2-1
Youth 2 60kgs Darragh Devine (Raphoe) lost to Tiarnan O’Kane (St Canice’s) 0-3
Youth 2 67kgs Conor McGurk (Raphoe) lost to WJ Callaghan (Carndonagh) 0-3
Youth 70kgs Ronan Kelly (Raphoe) beat Charlie Doherty (Dunree) 2-1
Senior 60kgs Dennis Lafferty (Raphoe) beat Christopher Culloo (St John Bosco) 3-0
Senior 69kgs Danny Duggan (Raphoe) beat Danny Boyle (Dungloe) 2-1
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