Image- Liffey Crane Hire’s Michael Gill (middle) IABA Chief Executive Officer Fergal Carruth (left) and IABA President Dominic O’Rourke (right) at the signing of a two year sponsorship agreement of the IABA Elite Championships 2019 & 2020.

CEO Fergal Carruth spoke of his appreciation to Liffey Crane Hire for their continued backing and emphasized how this sponsorship will be utilized to support the fantastic work carried out by the IABA from school boy and school girl levels right up to Senior Elites.

IABA president Dominic O’Rourke expressed his gratitude to Liffey Crane Hire and in particular its managing director Michael Gill for his continued support to the sport of boxing in Ireland.

The Liffey Crane Irish Elite Championships continues tonight at the National Stadium.

The first session of semi-finals – and two quarter-finals – were decided at the National Elites in Dublin tonight.

Dundalk’s European U/22 champion Amy “Canelo” Broadhurst booked her ticket into her second successive final on a unanimous decision over Shauna O’Callaghan at the National Stadium.

European Elite bronze medallist Christina Desmond meets defending welterweight champion Grainne Walsh in the 69kg final on Saturday week.

Desmond scored an inside the distance win over Tina Donnelly and Walsh beat Gillian Duffy on the final bout on this evening’s card.

Portlaoise BC and Drimnagh BC featherweights Christian Cekiso and Patryk Adamus denied the St Francis BC in Limerick a guaranteed title after chalking up 4-1 splits over St Francis duo Myles Casey, a former Elite champion, and Tommy Casey.

David Oliver Joyce advanced convincingly, along with Sean Mari, Adam Hession and ex champion Dervla Duffy, who will meet Commonwealth finalist Michaela Walsh for gold.

Chloe Fleck and Donna Barr are back in action tomorrow night after winning their last eight bouts.

The remaining semi finals will be decided tomorrow evening to complete the line-ups for the finals on Saturday, February 23.

Three defending champions – Dean Gardiner, Kieran Molloy and Kiril Afanasev – are in action on Saturday.

Saturday’s weigh-ins – 8am to 9am and 12pm to 1pm at the National Stadium.

(The running order for the February 23 finals will be confirmed shorly).

Images: (courtesy of Paddy Gallaher) Adam Hession (red) v Ricky Nesbitt and Dervla Duffy (blue) v Mary Geraghy); Grainne Walsh wins to get back to another Elite final;  Patryk Adamus takes the win over Tommy Casey and secures his place in the 2019 Elite final

2019 National Men’s and Women’s Elite Championships National Stadium Dublin

February 15

Q/finals & S/Finals (7pm)

Q/Finals

48kg Chloe Fleck (Canal) beat Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D) 4-0
48kg Donna Barr (Illies GG) beat Ciara Walsh (Smithfield) 5-0

S/Finals

49kg Sean Mari (Monkstown D) beat Rory Baird (Ederney) 5-0
52kg Adam Hession (Monivea) beat Ricky Nesbitt (Holy Family Drog) 4-0
57kg Dervla Duffy (Crumlin) beat Mary Geraghty (St Anthony’s Dub) 5-0
57kg Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) beat Myles Casey (St Francis) 4-1
57kg Patryk Adamus (Drimnagh) beat Tommy Casey (St Francis) 4-1
60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ballymun) beat Shane Flavin (Portlaoise) 4-1
64kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) beat Shauna O’Callaghan (Clann Naofa) 5-0
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) beat Tina Donnelly (Dublin Docklands) RSCI3
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) beat Gillian Duffy (St Mary’s Dublin) 5-0

February 16

S/Finals (6pm)

48kg Courtney Daly (Crumlin) V Chloe Fleck (Canal)
48kg Donna Barr (Illies GG) V Emma Feeney (Virginia)
63kg James McGivern (St Georges) V Kenneth Doyle (Monkstown Dub)
63kg Keith Flavin (Paulstown) V George Bates (St Marys, Dublin)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) V Luke Maguire (Esker)
69kg Patrick Donovan (OLOL) V Aidan Walsh (Monkstown Antrim)
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic) V Brett McGinty (Oakleaf)
75kg Fearghus Quinn (Camlough) V Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin)
81kg Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles) V David Bicevis (St Saviours OBA)
81kg Paul McCullagh (St John Bosco Bel) V Tommy Hyde (Mayfield)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) V Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub)
91kg Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone) V Karol Dlugosz (Scorpion)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Thomas Carthy (Crumlin)
91+kg Gydis Linskyas (Celtic Eagles) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale)

Saturday February 23

Finals

48kg Winner V Winner
49kg Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s) V Sean Mari (Monkstown D)
51kg Carly McNaul (Holy Family GG) V Niamh Early (Ryston)
52kg Evan Metcalf (Hyland BA) V Adam Hession (Monivea)
54kg Emma Flannery (Baldoyle) W/O
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) V Dervla Duffy (Crumlin)
57kg Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) V Patryk Adamus (Drimnagh)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Marys Dublin) W/O
60kg Dominic Bradley (Errigal) V David Oliver Joyce (Ballymun)
63kg Winner V Winner
64kg Moira McElligot (St Michaels Athy) V Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) V Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
69kg Winner V Winner
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) V Chayanne O’Neill (Athlone)
75kg Winner V Winner
80kg Leona Houlihan (Crumlin) V Lisa Browne (Aglish)
80+kg Nell Fox (Rathkeale) W/O
81kg Winner V Winner
91kg Winner V Winner
91+kg Winner V Winner

February 9

Q/Finals

63kg James McGivern (St Georges) beat Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) 5-0
63kg Kenneth Doyle (Monkstown Dub) beat Gerard Matthews (St Pauls Antrim) 4-1
63kg Keith Flavin (Paulstown) beat Matthew McCole (Dungloe) 3-2
63kg George Bates (St Marys, Dublin) beat Michael Avetisian (Swords) RSCI3
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) beat Aaron Daly (Castlebar) 5-0
69kg Luke Maguire (Esker) beat Michael McGrane (Crumlin) 5-0
69kg Patrick Donovan (O.L.O.L.) beat Conor Ivors (St Francis) 5-0
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) beat Dean Walsh (St Ibars/Josephs) 4-1
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic) beat Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) 3-2
75kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) beat Kelyn Cassidy (Saviours Crystal) 3-2
75kg Fearghus Quinn (Camlough) beat Gerard French (Emerald Antrim) 5-0
75kg Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin) beat Tony McGlynn (Crumlin) 5-0
91kg Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dub) beat Liam Greene (South Meath) 4-1
91kg Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone) beat Danny O’Brien (Santry/Defence Forces) 5-0
91kg Karol Dlugosz (Scorpion) beat Geoffrey Kavanagh (St Michaels) 4-1
81kg David Bicevis (St Saviours OBA) beat Robbie Burke (Glasnevin) 3-2
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Tommy Sheahan (St Michaels Athy) RSC1
91+kg Thomas Carthy (Crumlin) beat Dean Scullion (Loughshore) 5-0
91+kg Gydis Linskyas (Celtic Eagles) beat Antoine Griffin (Celtic Eagles) 3-2
91+kg Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) beat Stephen McMonagle (Holy Trinity) 5-0

February 8

Preliminaries

57kg Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) beat Conor Kerr (Monkstown Antrim) 5-0
57kg Tommy Casey (St Francis) beat Adam Courtney (St Mary’s Dublin) 4-0
63kg James McGivern (St Georges) beat Senan Kelly (Crumlin) 5-0
63kg Gerard Matthews (St Pauls Antrim) beat Stephen Lockhart (Baldoyle) 5-0
63kg Kenneth Doyle (Monkstown Dub) beat Craig Kavanagh (Crumlin) 4-1
63kg Matthew McCole (Dungloe) beat Dylan Duffy (Pegasus) 5-0
63kg Michael Avetisian (Swords) beat Terry McEntee (Old School/DCU) 4-1
69kg Aaron Daly (Castlebar) beat Fergal Redmond (Arklow) 5-0
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) beat Eugene McKeever (Holy Family Drog) 3-2
91+kg Tommy Sheahan (St Michaels Athy) beat Denis Borskins (Sacred Heart Newry) 5-0
91+kg Stephen McMonagle (Holy Trinity) beat James Clarke (Crumlin) 4-1

Ken Egan

The only Irish boxer to claim ten consecutive National Elite belts believes you have to remain in your own zone to become a champion.

Ken Egan reckons that a second belt is the hardest to win but that leaving the National Stadium with any title is always a special moment, regardless of what number it is.

Between February 10, 2001, when he beat Cork’s Kevin Walsh (St Colman’s BC) on his Elite debut at middleweight, and March 5, 2010, when he beat  Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett BC)  in the light-heavy final, Egan reigned supreme after posting 22 victories on the bounce in two different weights.

However, the Beijing 2008 silver medalist admitted that his remarkable sequence of victories, which looks unlikely to be equaled any time soon, almost bit the dust during a see-saw quarter-final under the old computer scoring system 16 years ago.

“In 2002, I boxed Leon Senior and I won 14-13, so that could have been my run of ten out the window, said the three-time European Union Elite champion reflecting on his most difficult encounters.

“It was a close one, but he was a good boxer. I beat Marvin Lee and Conall Carmichael. Darren O’Neill was another tough opponent. He was coming on strong,” added the Neilstown BC southpaw.

“Obviously, Joe Ward who beat me, but out of the ones that I won, I’d say it (toughest opponent) would have to be Leon in 2002. It was such a close fight.”

The Dublin lefty also claimed two European Elite bronze medals and two further European Union medals (both bronze) in his career.

“Winning the second one is always the hardest. After winning your first title the expectations are on you again to win your second, all eyes are on you,” continued the former AIBA World No. 3 ranked light-heavy.

“Olympic year is also very important and the pressure is on. In 2004, the pressure was on to win that year and again in 2008. Olympic year can add a bit of spice to the Seniors. People start coming out of the woodwork, people start moving up and down weights.

“The Olympic years are the exciting ones, but it’s always nice to win the title. I won the Juniors, Intermediates and Seniors the first year (he’s the only Irish boxer to achieve that particular hat-trick). It was a fantastic achievement for me as I’d only just turned 19. I won two at middle and I moved up to light-heavy in 2003.

Egan will be back at the venue he graced and dominated in the first decade of this century this Saturday night for the Liffey Crane 2018 finals and he had well-earned advice for boxers making their debuts in Saturday’s finals at the home of Irish boxing.

“Finals always add pressure and expectations, having your friends come and see you. Stay in your own zone, control the controllable as they say, said Egan who was coached by Gerry Fleming and staff at the Neilstown club.

“Forget about everything, forget about the distractions outside the ring. Get the first round under your belt which is very important. Put everything into your first round and try and finish the third round at as high an intensity as you had in the first.”

“I’m looking forward to Saturday. Finals night is always a special occasion.”

Jim O’Sullivan also won ten Irish Elite crowns.

Ken Egan (Neilstown BC) – Ten of the Best

Finals

2001
75kg: Ken Egan beat Conall Carmichael 11-6

2002
75kg: Ken Egan beat Marvin Lee 15-10

2003
81kg: Ken Egan beat Conall Carmichael 12-4

2003 (for 2004)
(Elites were held twice in 2003 ahead of qualifiers for Athens 2004)
81kg: Ken Egan beat Marvin Lee 8-2

2005
81kg: Ken Egan beat Darren O’Neill 27-7

2006
81kg: Ken Egan beat Darren O’Neill 21-12

2007
81kg: Ken Egan beat Willie Mitchell TKO1

2008
81kg: Ken Egan beat Ciaran Curtis 19-4

2009
81kg: Ken Egan beat Tommy McCarthy 9-5

2010
81kg: Ken Egan beat Tommy McCarthy 8-5