Michael Nevin, centre, with Kieran Molloy and Aaron McKenna
Defending welterweight and lightweight champions Dean Walsh and Pat Mongan bowed out of the National Elite Championships on split decisions at the semi-final stage at Dublin’s National Stadium tonight.
Wexford-native Walsh, who was aiming for five in a row, was edged on a 3-2 split by Galway’s former World Junior medalist Kieran Molloy who said during the week that he felt “now was his time”.
Mongan dropped a 4-1 split to Dubliner George Bates in a repeat of the 2017 lightweight final which Mongan won on a 3-2 split.
“It was a close fight and a very good fight and the better man won on the night. We’re now looking to November,” said Mongan’s Olympic BC coach Michael Mongan.
Cork’s Thomas McCarthy, who was beaten by Rio Olympian Brendan Irvine in the 2017 decider, booked his ticket into the bantamweight final after edging Laois’ Christian Cesiko on a 3-2 split.
He’ll meet Dubliner Evan Metcalfe who beat Limerick’s Myles Casey in a repeat of the 2015 final which Casey won.
Defending featherweight champion Dervla Duffy stopped Ashley McCullough, a niece of Olympic silver medallist and former WBC champion Wayne McCullough, in the second round this evening.
Michael Nevin, an ex European Schoolboy, Junior and Youth champion, won on his Elite debut in the last-eight of the tournament and meets Ger French on Saturday night for a place in the middleweight final.
“I thought I performed good, I thought I did what I needed to do. It’s always a battle at the Stadium but I was well prepared by my coaches,” said Nevin.
The remaining National Elite semi-finals will be completed tomorrow night to decide the line-ups for the February 24 finals.
A second National Elite Championships will be run for women and men in September and November in the build up to the qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.
Saturday’s weigh-ins at National Elites – 8am to 9am and 12pm to 1pm at the National Stadium.
Meanwhile, current European Elite light-heavyweight Joe Ward helped the British Lionhearts to a 5-0 group win over the Croatian Knights in the World Series of Boxing in Newcastle tonight.
The two-time World Elite finalist beat Damir Plantic on a unanimous decision after a dominant performance on Tyne and Weir.
2018 National Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships National Stadium Dublin
Friday 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
Saturday February 17th (7pm)
S/Finals
48kg Courtney Daly (Crumlin) V Shannon Sweeney (St Annes)
48kg Megan Doyle (Whitechurch) V Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D)
57kg Tiegan Russell (Fr Horgans) V Michaela Walsh (Mokstown A)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) V Ciara Sheedy (Ardnaree)
69kg Gillian Duffy (Bray) V Ciara Ginty (Geesala)
75kg Kelyn Cassidy (Savious.Crystal) V Brett McGinty (Oakleaf)
75kg Gerard French (Clonard, Antrim) V Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg Karol Blugosz (Scorpion) V Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean)
81kg Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) V Caomhin Hynes (Holy Trinity)
91kg Liam Greene (South Meath) V Kevin Sheehy (St Francis)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) V Jason Barron (Holy Trinity)
91+kg Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) V John McDonnell (Crumlin)
U/18 Final
69kg Nadine Dermody (Raging Bull) V Elice Elliott (South Meath)
Novice Final
52kg Anita Larkin (Baldoyle) V Kinga Krzak (Celtic Eagles)
February 24th
Finals
48kg Winner V Winner
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 Winner
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 Winner V Winner
75kg Aoife Burke (St Marys Dublin) V Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans)
75kg Winner V Winner
81kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) W/O
81kg Winner V Winner
81+kg Lisa Browne (Aglish) V Nell Fox (Rathkeale)
91kg Winner V Winner
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Winner
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