Eugene Duffy is “One of the most highly respected gentlemen in amateur boxing in Ireland. He’s been about for a long long time. Over 60 years. That’s a great innings for any man” and has been selected by the Ulster Provincial Council as a person who has made a singular contribution to boxing in Ireland.
A native of Derry, Eugene began his boxing career in Derry Sports Club in 1957, joining St. Eugene’s BC in the early 1960s. By 1978, was officiating at county and Provincial level in Ulster. At the close of the decade, had begun officiating at national championships in the home of Irish Boxing.
The voice of Irish boxing, stadium announcer Peter O’Donnell of Raphoe BC in Donegal says “ I don’t think men like Eugene get enough credit for what they’ve done, especially in the 70s and 80s. These men, these volunteers, have actually saved lives. Young men, when the Troubles was going strong in Northern Ireland, these men kept the boxing clubs going throughout all that era. Kept young boys on the right path – other than that, there would have been a lotta young lives lost.
In a long and illustrious career, Eugene has officiated at competitions including the 2003 World Elite Championships in Thailand, Olympic qualifiers in Europe, America and Trinidad and Tobago, European championships, USA World Golden Gloves Invitational Tournament in Minnesota in 2005, the Commonwealth Games finals in Kuala Lumpur in 2004, as well as over 70 other box cups, round robins and international tournaments.
National Registrar Stephen Connolly says “Since 1978, up to today, he’s coming down from Derry every weekend for every National Championship. He’s never missed a Championship….Eugene would have had the experience of travelling the whole world. He’s done three Olympic qualifiers, which is no mean achievement from any Referee & Judge. And he’s been in America and Italy. I was in Italy with him; I was only a young referee coming through. And, you know, the experience I learned from that I was able to carry on through my years within the Association as the National Registrar – to have Eugene’s experience beside you, it’s untold. You can’t get that everywhere.”
Outside the ring, Eugene holds the record as the long-serving elected member of the Ulster Boxing Council. He has also served as UBC Registrar, and Chair of the provincial council’s Referee and Judging Committee. Closer to home, Eugene has held every position in the Derry County Board, bar that of Treasurer, and was a member of Central Council in the 1990s.
Central Council’s Anna Moore says “There no night when there are championships on that you won’t see Eugene coming in through that door at 4 O’clock. He’s so committed to boxing. His passion for boxing is unreal“
The President of St Joseph’s Boxing Club was honoured by the I.A.B.A. for Outstanding Services to Boxing in 2017, was presented with a Life Time Achievement Award at the 2024 National Elite Championship Finals, and has just been elected Vice President of Central Council.
This short film is part of a series on Irish Boxing – Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing, commissioned by IABA and produced by Lowki Culture and supported by Sport Ireland