The St Anne’s BC celebrate their 50th Anniversary on Saturday night at the Castlecourt Hotel.
The famed Mayo unit opened its doors in October 1967. Jack Lynch was Taoiseach at the time and Eamon de Valera President. The Beatles had two massive hits in the charts – Penny Lane and Love Me Do.
Since its foundation over half a century ago, the club has won 102 national titles.
“We’re hoping that everyone will come along on the night and talk to us; tell us if we were good. Or bad even!” St Anne’s President Peter Mullen, who claimed the Westport club’s first title in 1971, told Midwest Radio.
“That’s what we’re hoping for, all the people that have come through the club over the years, it’s hard to think of them all and they won’t all be notified, but we’re hoping they will hear about and just talk to us and give us some of their memories.”
The late John ‘Porky’ McGreal, a founder member of St Anne’s, was Mullen’s coach.
“The foundations were laid back then and have continued to grow ever since as champions of all shapes and sizes walked through the doors of the Pete Callaghan Centre,” Mullen added.
Mullen, Ray Moylette and Shannon Sweeney claimed Elite belts for St Anne’s, with Moylette putting the unit on the map internationally after becoming the first Irish boxer to win World Youth gold in Mexico in 2008.
Moylette, along with Joe Ward, secured double European Elite gold in Turkey in 2011 to help Ireland finish in 2nd spot in the medals table against the continent’s finest.
“Congratulations to the St Anne’s on their anniversary. Over the last 50 years they have done Mayo and Irish boxing proud domestically and internationally and here’s to the next 50 years for the club,” said IABA President Dom O’Rourke.
Images: St Anne’s BC President Peter Mullen with the trophies he’s won (above) and Ray Moylette (right) and Joe Ward after winning two gold medals at 2011 European Elites below)
