Martin Keenan (red)

Martin Keenan ensured that there will be one male defending champion in next Saturday’s National Elite finals at the National Stadium in Dublin.

The Rathkeale BC super-heavy beat Dubliner John McDonnell on a unanimous decision at the Stadium tonight to set up a Limerick versus Tipperary showdown with Dean Gardiner in a repeat of a box-off for a place on the Irish European team, which Gardiner, an ex Irish Elite champion, won last year.

Former World Junior champion and Olympic Youth finalist Ciara Ginty and current European Union Elite bronze medalist Grainne Walsh will meet for the welterweight title.

Both women won their semi-finals tonight, with Ginty beating Gillian Duffy on a 4-1 split decision and Walsh scoring a unanimous decision over Ciara Sheehy.

European Union Elite champion Michaela Walsh received a walkover and faces Dervla Duffy in the featherweight decider.

Featherweight has been added to the three existing – fly, light and middle – Olympic weights for females for this year’s Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires which suggests that the limit will also be included on the program for Tokyo 2020.

Meanwhile, Laois’ former European Youth champion Michael Nevin and Derry’s ex Commonwealth Games Youth medallist Brett McGinty are through to the middleweight final.

Nevin, who took a standing count in the second round, took all five judges with him in an impressive performance against Gerard French, who scored a spectacular KO of John Maughan on Friday, and McGinty beat Kelyn Cassidy.

Grainne Walsh with her dad Gerry

“I’m delighted with the win and I can’t wait for the final,” said Elite debutant Nevin after his second victory in 24 hours at the home of Irish boxing.

“I got caught with a good shot (standing count) but I recovered very quickly and well and I thought I out boxed him.”

Meantime, Limerick’s Kevin Sheehy progressed to the heavyweight final on a 4-1 verdict over Liam Greene. Irish international Kiril Afanasev won the corresponding last-four bout.

The heavyweight title is vacant this year after London 2012 Olympian Darren O’Neill withdrew with a hand injury.

Sheehy, who boxes out of the St Francis BC, Andy Lee’s former club, has risen from relative obscurity to win an Irish Senior (formerly Intermediate) belt in December and an U/22 title in December and is now aiming for one of the biggest prizes in Irish boxing.

The National Elite finals will decided next Saturday at the National Stadium.

Tickets for the Liffey Crane Hire Elite finals can be purchased over the phone on 01-4533371 with debit cards. Tickets are priced at €40 Ringside, €30 Angles and €25 Gallery.

2018 National Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships National Stadium Dublin

February 24th

Finals

48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Annes) V Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D)
49kg Ricky Nesbitt (Carrickmacross) V Conor Jordan (St Aidans)
51kg Ceire Smith (Virginia/DCU) V Niamh Early (Ryston)
52kg Conor Quinn (Clonard Antrim) W/O
54kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigids E) V Amanda Loughlin (St Michaels Dub)
56kg Evan Metcalfe (Hyland Academy) V Thomas McCarthy (Setanta)
57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) V Michaela Walsh (Monkstown A)
60kg George Bates (St Marys Dublin) v Francis Cleary (Ballina)
60kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) V Kellie Harrington (St Marys Dublin)
64kg Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) W/O
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) V Caoimhin Ferguson (Clonard A)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) V Eugene McKeever (Holy Family D)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) V Ciara Ginty (Geesala)
75kg Aoife Burke (St Marys Dublin) V Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans)
75kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) V Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) W/O
81kg Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean) V Caomhin Hynes (Holy Trinity)
81+kg Lisa Browne (Aglish) V Nell Fox (Rathkeale)
91kg Kevin Sheehy (St Francis) V Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale)

Saturday February 17th (7pm)

S/Finals

48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Annes) beat Courtney Daly (Crumlin) 5-0
48kg Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D) beat Megan Doyle (Whitechurch) 3-2
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown A) W/O
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) beat Ciara Sheedy (Ardnaree) 5-0
69kg Ciara Ginty (Geesala) beat Gillian Duffy (Bray) 4-1
75kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) beat Kelyn Cassidy (Savious.Crystal 4-1
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) beat Gerard French (Clonard, Antrim) 5-0
81kg Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean) beat Karol Blugosz (Scorpion) 4-1
81kg Caomhin Hynes (Holy Trinity) beat Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) 3-2
91kg Kevin Sheehy (St Francis) beat Liam Greene (South Meath) 4-1
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) beat Jason Barron (Holy Trinity) RSC3
91+kg Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) beat John McDonnell (Crumlin) 5-0

U/18 Final
69kg Elice Elliott (South Meath) beat Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D) 4-1

Novice Final
52kg Anita Larkin (Baldoyle) beat Kinga Krzak (Celtic Eagles) RSC3

February 16th (7pm)

Q/Finals

69kg Ciara Sheedy (Ardnaree) beat Connie Vaughan (Duhallow) 4-1
75kg Kelyn Cassidy (Saviours Crystal) beat Peter Carr (Crumlin) 5-0
75kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) beat Glory Carlos Imuala (Maynooth) 5-0
75kg Gerard French (Clonard Antrim) beat John Maughan (St Marys Dublin) KO2
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) beat David Biscevas (St Saviours OBA) 5-0
81kg Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean) beat Robert Burke (Glasnevin) 4-1
81kg Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) beat Davit Tsotsoria (Illies GG) 5-0
91kg Kevin Sheehy (St Francis) W/O

S/Finals

57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) beat Ashley McCullough (Albert Foundry) RSC2
56kg Evan Metcalfe (Hyland Academy) beat Myles Casey (St Francis) 4-1
56kg Thomas McCarthy (Setanta) beat Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) 3-2
60kg George Bates (St Marys Dublin) beat Patrick Mongan (Olympic) 4-1
60kg Francis Cleary (Ballina) beat Adam Kelly (Portlaoise) 5-0
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) beat Keith Flavin (Paulstown) 5-0
64kg Caoimhin Ferguson (Clonard A) beat Colm Quinn (Castlebar) 5-0
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) beat Dean Walsh (St Ibars) 3-2
69kg Eugene McKeever (Holy Family D) beat Tony McGlynn (Crumlin) 5-0
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Patrick Nevin (St Michaels Dub) 5-0

February 9th

Prelims

56kg Evan Metcalfe (Hyland Academy) beat Adam Courtney (St Marys Dublin) 3-0
56kg Thomas McCarthy (Setanta) W/O
56kg Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) beat Tommy Casey (St Francis) 5-0
60kg Patrick Mongan (Olympic Galway) beat Dillon Duffy (Pegasus) 4-1
60kg George Bates (St Marys Dublin) beat Shane Flavin (Paulstown) 5-0
60kg Francis Cleary (Ballina) beat Sean Duffy (Holy Trinity) 5-0
60kg Adam Kelly (Portlaoise) W/O
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) beat Fergal Redmond (Arklow) 5-0
69kg Eugene McKeever (Holy Family D) beat Michael Hennessy (St Monicas) 5-0
69kg Tony McGlynn (Crumlin) beat David Barrett (Rylane) 4-1
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) beat Matthew McCole (Dungloe) 5-0
91+kg Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) beat Geoffrey Kavanagh (Glasnevin) 4-1
91+kg John McDonnell (Crumlin) beat Antoine Griffin (Celtic Eagles) 4-1
91+kg Patrick Nevin (St Michaels Dub) beat Konstantin Popovcuic (Crumlin) 4-1
91kg+Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Thomas Carthy (Glasnevin) 5-0

Joe Ward has his hand raised in victory last night

Joe Ward helped the British Lionhearts put the Croatian Knights to the sword in Newcastle last night.

The current European Elite champion and two-time World Elite finalist recorded an emphatic unanimous decision over Damir Plantic in Gateshead.

The final scores for the Westmeath southpaw read 50-45 across the board after five, three-minute rounds, the Moate BC lefty helping the hosts to a shutout 5-0 win.

The victory, which sees the Lionhearts bounce back from their loss to the French Fighting Roosters in Paris in their opening group match, is his sixth in the WSB as he recorded five wins from six outings for the Lionhearts in the 2013 WSB season.

“Job done, move on to the next one,” said the European No. 1 and World No. 4 ranked light-heavy via social media.

“It’s all about building towards where I want to be and what I want to achieve, but I’m grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank the people that helped me over the last few weeks and also years.”

Belfast lightweight Sean Duffy is also signed with the Lionhearts.

The Holy Trinity BC man is expected to box against Italia Thunder in Liverpool in early March.

Joe Ward with his WSB team-mates