DONEGAL ENJOYED GOOD success at the Ulster 9 Counties finals at the weekend in Hazelwood Integrated College, Belfast.
Six boxers from these parts took victory in the ring with another ten awarded walkover wins.
The 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist Brett McGinty won his 12th Ulster title in some style.
Picture caption: Brett McGinty pictured with Oakleaf ABC coach Christy Doherty.
In the Youth 3 final at 69kgs, the St Johnston man – boxing for Oakleaf ABC from Derry – defeated Townland’s Daniel Bell. McGinty surged into control from early in the contest and he stopped the bout in the third round having been in command from the opening bell.
McGinty has returned to action with menace following his winning of a silver medal in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa last September and the National Stadium is beckoning again for a man described by Oakleaf’s Eugene O’Kane as ‘one of the best boxers to emerge in this city in years’.
Matthew McCole is another looking to rise the ladder and he overcame Caoimhin Ferguson from Gleann at Youth 3 60kgs, the Dungloe man taking a majority decision from the judges at ringside, but there was disappointment for his Dungloe colleague Mark McMonagle, who lost the Youth 3 56kgs final to Matthew Boreland from Churchlands.
Convoy’s Ryan Ward-Mulrine wasted no time in putting the Boy 4 54kgs final to bed as he stopped Ruairi Devlin in devastating fashion during the opening round.
Convoy duo Ryan Ward-Mulrine and Bryan McNamee with coach Dominic McCafferty
In Boy 4 finals, Finn Valley’s Oisin McHugh and Kai Weir, as well as Raphoe’s Tom Doherty, were beaten in their finals, while EJ Gibbons of of Illies and Ciara Craig lost out in Youth 1 deciders to Caitlin Fryers and Christie Convery respectively.
Former Irish champion Leon Gallagher was pipped by Gleann’s Anthony Johnston from Gleann in the Youth 2 75kgs decider while Brian Elliott, formerly Letterkenny and now with Illies GG, was edged by Thomas Maughan in the 80kgs final.
Illies man Kyle McDaid swatted aside Shane O’Neill from Errigal to take the honours at 54kgs and there was glory, too, for Jessica Clarke, who made light work of Aine Tanney (Carrickmore) to win the Youth 1 50kgs final – and make it a double for the Clarke household.
Carndonagh’s recently-crowned Brampton Cup gold medallist Labhaoise Clarke was one of a host of Donegal boxers to be crowned champion by way of a walkover win. Clarke was victorious in the Youth 2 57kgs division.
Others to win via walkovers were: Alecia McMenamin of Twin Towns (Girl 4 60kgs), Bryan McNamee of Convoy (Youth 2, 66kgs), John Moran from Illies GG (Youth 2, 44kgs), Dunfanaghy’s Kristina McFadden (Youth 2, 66kgs), Clonmany’s Edward McEleney (Youth 2, 91+kgs), Twin Towns’ Ciara Anderson (Youth 3, 51kgs), Illies woman Mairead Dobbins (Youth 3, 57kgs), Ciara Doherty from Clonmany (Youth 3, 60kgs) and Raphoe’s Ruairi McGlinchy (Youth 3 75kgs).
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