Mick Dowling with Ken Egan and the late Jimmy Magee
The inaugural Jimmy Magee Cup for the Best Female Boxer will be presented at Saturday’s Elite finals at the National Stadium in Dublin.
The late Jimmy Magee of RTE fame was an enduring compatriot of Irish boxing and a regularl at the Stadium for Elite and underage tournaments.
He was also ringside for some of the greatest moments in Irish sport, including Michael Carruth’s and Katie Taylor’s Olympic gold medal wins.
“Michael Carruth is the champion, the champion, the champion!”, he commentated after the Dubliner won gold at Barcelona 1992.
“Katie Taylor is the champion of the Olympic Games,” he told the nation at London 2012.
The “memory man” also had some advice for Paddy Barnes during a war of attrition with China’s Zou Shiming in the semi-finals at the same Olympiad.
“It’s a rip-roarer, an absolutely titanic struggle if that’s the right thing to say about a Belfast man… Make sure the rivets are tight and away you go!”
Meantime, twenty finals will be decided at the flagship tournament of Irish boxing this weekend.
The 2018 tournament takes places almost 100 years after the 1st All-Ireland at Dalymount Park in 1920, nine years after the foundation of the IABA in Dublin.
The first actual Championships was hosted at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin this month in 1922, according to former IABA President Breandán Ó Connaire in History Ireland.
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