Kieran Molloy – the 56 year wait is over
Sixteen champions were crowned at the National Elite finals at Dublin’s National Stadium tonight.
Martin Keenan, the only male defending champion, lost on a unanimous decision to Dean Gardiner and Dervla Duffy relinquished her featherweight title to current EU Elite champion Michaela Walsh.
Kellie Harrington and Grainne Walsh, the defending lightweight and welterweight champions, beat former European and World Junior champions Amy Broadhurst and Ciara Ginty.
Harrington has now won eight Elite titles, while Grainne Walsh was celebrating on the double after scooping the inaugural Jimmy Magee Best Female Boxer Award.
Ceire Smith made a welcome return to the home of Irish boxing to add another notch to her CV and Michael Nevin out-pointed Brett McGinty in a thrilling middleweight decider to secure his first Elite title in his first tournament at this level.
The Oughtered BC in Galway have been waiting 56 years since their foundation to win a belt at the flagship tournament of Irish boxing.
Kieran Molloy, who also took home the Best Male Boxer Award, ended that wait this evening after beating Eugene McKeever in another top class final.
National Elite Championships 2018
February 24th
Finals (6.15pm)
48kg Shannon Sweeney (St. Annes) beat Carol Coughlan (Monkstown Dublin) 3-2
81+kg Nell Fox (Rathkeale) beat Lisa Browne (Aglish) 4-0
54kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigids Edenderry) beat Amanda Loughlin (St Michaels Dublin) 5-0
51kg Ceire Smith (Virginia/DCU) beat Niamh Early (Ryston) 5-0
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Marys Dublin) beat Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) beat Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) 5-0
91kg Kiril Afansev (Smithfield) beat Kevin Sheehy (St Francis) 5-0
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) 5-0
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) beat Ciara Ginty (Geesala) 5-0
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) beat Eugene McKeever (Holy Family Drogheda) 5-0
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) beat Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) 4-1
49kg Conor Jordan (St Aidans) beat Ricky Nesbitt (Carrickmacross) 4-1
56kg Thomas McCarthy (Setanta) beat Evan Metcalfe (Hyland Academy) DISQ
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) beat Caoimhin Ferguson (Clonard Antrim) 5-0
60kg George Bates (St. Marys Dublin) beat Francis Cleary (Ballina) 5-0
81kg Caoimhin Hynes (Holy Trinity) beat Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean) 3-2
Jimmy Magee Best Female Boxer: Grainne Walsh
President’s Cup Best Male Boxer: Kieran Molloy
52kg Conor Quinn (Clonard Antrim) Walkover
64kg Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) Walkover
75kg Aoife Burke (St Marys Dublin) Walkover
81kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) Walkover
Saturday February 17th
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
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