Myers, Maughan, Eoghan Quinn, Jerome Lonergan-Gartland, Thomas Doherty and William Hayden are in action tomorrow.

What is your earliest happy Irish sporting memory?

Michael: “A World Cup qualifier in 2001– Ireland v Holland at Lansdowne Road. What a game and what an atmosphere. It was the one that really sealed our passage to the 2002 World Cup.”

Paddy: “My favourite Irish sporting moment would have to be the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It was my first serious tournament and the intensity of it was amazing.”

What is your earliest sad Irish sporting memory?

Michael: “When Bernard Dunne was beaten by Kiko Martinez in the Point Depot in 2007. Bernard is an awesome fighter and it was a sad night.”

Paddy: “It was in 2002, the World Cup, where Ireland lost on penalties to Spain. They crashed out the World Cup at the last 16 stage and I was just devastated.”

Who is your Irish sporting hero?

Michael: “Wayne McCullough. I loved him. My favourite memory is him winning the Olympic silver medal in Barcelona 1992. I’m too young to have watched it live but I’ve seen it many times. It was a great time for Irish boxers with Michael Carruth winning the gold.”

Paddy: “In the past six or seven years I’ve really looked up to A.P. McCoy. It’s a totally different sport to boxing but the stuff he has to go through to make weight is similar. I really admire his achievements, his weight-making, and still going on through his many injuries. I’ve met him a few times and he’s such a nice guy.”

What has been the biggest sporting challenge you’ve faced and how did you overcome it?

Michael: “Being injured before the Commonwealth Games in 2010. I had a serious injury and didn’t think I could box again. But I came back and competed with two weeks training. That was definitely my greatest comeback.”

Paddy: “After medalling at the Beijing Olympics, a lot of people might have seen it as a flash in the pan. So I had to prove myself and to keep winning. And two years later I was European champion, Commonwealth champion, and a year later I qualified for my second Olympic games, something which I nearly thought I couldn’t do myself.”

What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced outside sport?

Michael: “Becoming a father and having to balance fatherhood and training. I want to be a good father and want to be there as much as I can so my daughter can be happy.”

Paddy: “The biggest challenge I’ve faced outside sport would have to be education. Because of sport, I’m so dedicated and I haven’t got time for it. It’s a pity I didn’t do it when I was younger. I was a bit of a messer when I was younger but now I realise how important it is.”

What did you learn from overcoming these challenges?

Michael: “That I’m tough and resilient.”

Paddy: “If you dedicate your life to one thing, and you believe in achieving that one thing, then you can do it.”

 

Cork’s Gerard McDonagh,pictured,will be the first Irish boxer in action on Day 3 of the European Schoolboy Championships in Zagreb, Croatia today.

The Irish captain, who boxes out of the Glen BC, meets Denmark’s Mikail Harmanci in the 2nd bout on the program.

Paddy Myres (5), Francis Maughan (10), Jason Irwin (14), Matthew Tyndall (17) and John Sweeney (20) are in action in the evening session which begins at 5pm (Irish time).

(Bout numbers in brackets).

European Schoolboy Championships Zagreb, Croatia

July 24th

Preliminaries (last 32)

44.5kg Eoghan Quinn (Ireland) beat Kros Ermas  (Bosnia & Herzegovina) 3-0
46kg Steve Cairns (Ireland) beat Severin Yordanov (Bulgaria) 3-0

July 25th

(1pm session, Irish time – last 16)

38.5KG Jerome Lonergan-Gartland (Ireland) beat Krasimer Dzhurov (Bulgaria) 2-1
44.5KG Eoghan Quinn (Ireland) beat Matteo Ferraro (Italy) 3-0

(5pm session, Irish time – last 16)

40KG Thomas Donovan (Ireland) lost to Ignas Liaudanskis (Lithuania) 1-2
46KG Steve Cairns (Ireland) lost to Maksim Demenenko (Russia) 0-3
50KG Shane O’Gorman (Ireland) lost to Nermin Ajetovic (Serbia) 0-3

July 26th – last 16

1pm sesssion (Irish time)

41.5KG Ger McDonagh (Ireland) v  Mikail Harmanci (Denmark)

5pm session (Irish time)

52KG Paddy Myers (Ireland) v Shilov Aleksander (Russia)
54KG Francis Maughan (Ireland) v Rakitin Ilya (Russia)
59KG Jason Irwin (Ireland) v  Gramos Berisha (Kosova) v Jason Irwin
62KG  Matthew Tyndall (Ireland) v Kofan Maksym (Ukraine)
76+KG John Sweeney (Ireland) v Timur  Avdoian (Russia)

July 27th Q/Finals

38.5KG Jerome Lonergan-Gartland (Ireland) v Kiril Kladovikov (Russia)
44.5KG Eoghan Quinn (Ireland) v Cameron Whyte (Scotland)
76KG Thomas Doherty (Ireland) v Russia or Croatia
65KG William Hayden (Ireland) v  Nazar Karaka (Belarus)

July 28th Q/Finals

48KG Cain Lewis (Ireland) v Croatia or Italy

43KG Jonathan Hughes (Ireland) v Moldova or Ukraine

56KG Patrick Collins (Ireland) v Lithuania or Italy

68KG Jason Myers v Romania or Hungary

72KG Jamie Edwards (Ireland) Voevodin Andrei (Russia)

Irish squad

38.5KG Jerome Lonergan Gartland (Clonmel)

40KG Thomas Donovan (Olympic)

41.5KG Gerard McDonagh (Glen) cpt

43KG Jonathon Hughes (Jobstown)

44.5KG Eoghan Quinn (St.Johns Derry)

46KG Steven Cairns (Loughmahon)

48KG Cian Lewis (Ballymun)

50KG Shane O’Gorman (St.Malachys)

52KG Paddy Myers (Sligo City)

54KG Francis Maughan (St.Marys Dublin)

56KG Patrick Collins (Baldoyle)

59KG Jason Irwin (Castleblaney)

62KG Matthew Tyndall (Monkstown Dublin)

65KG William Hayden (Crumlin)

68KG Jason Myers (Titans)

72KG Jamie Edwards (Crumlin)

76KG Thomas Doherty (Baldoyle)

76+KG John Sweeney (Ennis)

Team Manager: Paddy Gallagher (Maynooth)

Coaches: Igor Khmil (Smithfield), JP Kinsella (Monkstown),Eoin Pluck (Arklow), Brian Barry (Riverstown) R&J: Martin Fennessy (Clonmel)