THE Belfast Halloween Open continues to go from strength to strength after the three-day competition came to a conclusion yesterday.
A total of 312 boxers entered, with teams coming from Scotland, Cork, Meath, Dublin and all across Ulster as the Girdwood Community Hub became a gathering ground for fight fans over the weekend.
It was the fourth year the Halloween Open has taken place and, according to County Antrim board secretary Malachy Scott, it was “the best yet”.
“There was three great days of action, with 127 bouts taking place in the open competition and then one Ulster final yesterday,” said Scott.
“The likes of Holy Trinity and Ratoath from Meath both did very well, and you could see the talent on show. It will stand all the boxers in good stead for the future, and with the likes of the Scottish teams coming in, it adds that bit of extra spice.”
Events such as this couldn’t take place without the Belfast City Council funding for the Belfast Boxing Strategy, and Liam Corr insists it is money well spent on developing future generations of boxers.
“It was a busy three days,” said Corr.
“There was two rings going on Saturday and Sunday, and good crowds there the whole time. It was great to have teams coming over from Forgewood and Jonesy’s in Scotland, as well as Reese Lynch from the Scottish High Performance unit. He showed what a talent he is.
“There was good quality opposition at each weight, the kids are improving every year and it’s at these kind of events where kids gain really important experience against boxers from different clubs and different countries.”
Holy Trinity coach Michael Hawkins was in agreement, after the west Belfast club picked up 14 titles and six runners-up. They also had Brendan Ferran defeating Camlough’s Caoilte Jones in the boy 123 35kg Ulster final.
“All the boys did very well, and it was the perfect preparation for the season ahead,” said Hawkins.
Meanwhile, a County Antrim junior and youth team was in action in Naples last weekend.
The select was made up of 11 boxers, two coaches and one official. The suburb of Marcinese hosted the two night dual, which included some quality national team and European-level boxers among the Italian ranks.
In the first match on Friday, October 18 the Italians emerged 8-3 winners, leaving the Sunday the Co Antrim team determined to right those wrongs on the Sunday.
There were sterling performances from Bernard Agnew against the European junior champion and Emeka Onwuka against a quality Italian international.
Further wins for Chad Magill, David O’Hara and Peter Devine and Ali Ahmed ensured a well balanced match in the end.
“This was yet another great experience for the Co Antrim boxers and a crucial developmental step for these young men,” said a spokesman.
“Many friendships and great contacts were made on the trip which will hopefully yield more dual matches in the coming years at different levels.”
The Italians are now set for the return leg in Belfast in as part of an international fight night – also including Scotland, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium and a Basque select - at Belfast’s Balmoral Hotel on November 8/9.
Belfast Halloween Open
Final results
Sunday
Ring A
B1 29: M Dowdall (Ardee) RSC1 C Hughes (Gleann); B1 31: D Kelly (Castleblaney) 0-5 E Shirley (Ratoath); B1 38.5: C Doherty (Glengormley) 5-0 M McDonagh (Omagh BA); B1 41.5: D Conroy (Ratoath) 5-0 Y Kahlifa (Rathfriland); B1 43: L Kelly (Dunfanaghy) 0-5 D Nevin (Holy Family Dro); B1 48: J McCaskie (Ballykelly) 0-5 C O'Neill (Star); B1 50: A Ritchie (All Saints) 5-0 M Marlow (Holy Trinity); B1 76: J Gentle (Phoenix) RSCI1 JP McKinney (Star); B2 33: J Kelly (Holy Trinity) RSC2 J Watson (St Canice's); B2 37: C Curley (Holy Trinity) 0-5 J Graham (Clonard); B2 38.5: L Delaney (Forgewood) Scotland 5-0 C Phillips (St Michael's); B2 44.5: C Shirley (Ratoath) 0-5 C Braniff (Holy Trinity); B2 46: S Hillick (Holy Family) 4-1 G Flynn (Holy Trinity); B2 54: A O’Rawe (Holy Trinity) 5-0 P Ward (Oakleaf); B2 59: S Fox (Castleblaney) RSC1 A McIvor (Oakleaf); B2 65: D Smyth (Clonard) 3-2 J Maguire (Holy Family Dro); B3 35: L Rooney (Star) 4-1 D McAleavy (SJB Newry); B3 40: P Ward (Immaculata) 5-0 M McManus (St Patrick's, Newry); B3 41.5: L Gallagher (Ratoath) 3-2 D Magill (Glengormley); B3 43: K Smith (Holy Trinity) 5-0 L Hanna (Townland); B3 44.5: L Hill (SJB Newry) 5-0 J Harkin (Oakleaf); B3 46: B McDonagh (Two Castles) 1-4 O Clancy (Rathfriland); B3 54: C Notarantonio (Clonard) 5-0 T Doughty (St Canice's); B3 59: C Smith Mourne (All Blacks) 5-0 J Goodman (St Agnes’s); B3 68: T Ward (Carrickmore) 0-5 C McGillon (Two Castles)
Ring B
G3 53: C Coiley (Clonard) RSC2 K McLaughlin (Star); G3 57: C Young (St Paul’s) 3-2 ER Mc Mullan (Star); G5 48: D Parke (Antrim) 4-1 G Lavery (Rathfriland); B4 46: C Devine (Oliver Plunkett) 0-5 G Ryan (Ratoath); B4 50: A Tyrell (Ratoath) 5-0 H Baxter (Jonesy’s Stirling); B4 52: D Keary (Rathfriland) 5-0 T Conwell (St Canice’s); B4 60: S Cope (Mourne All Blacks) 1-4 D O Hara (SJ Bosco); B4 63: A Cunningham (Rathfriland) 4-1 L Hughes (Dockers); B4 75: J Walker (Lisburn) 5-0 S Davey (Townland); B5 50: R Mongan (Holy Family GG) 5-0 C Mullan (Holy Trinity); B5 52: M Mc Clintock (Holy Trinity) 0-5 J Alexander (Jonesy’s Stirling); B5 54: P Devine (Oliver Plunkett) 4-1 C Magill (Glengormley); B5 60: C Lee Peoples (Ballykelly) 0-5 M McCullough (Gleann); B5 70: C Donnelly (Rathfriland) 4-1 R O Gorman (St Malachy’s); B5 75: E Stokes (Antrim) RSC2 T Cunningham (St Joseph’s); B6 63: J Harkin (Oakleaf) 0-5 T Mc Cann (St Paul’s); B6 75: D Sofiyu (Ledley Hall) 5-0 D Oscar (St Michael’s); B7 60: C Fisher (Holy Trinity) 5-0 A Thompson (Spartans); B7 64: C Suttle (Erne) 0-5 R Lynch (Scotland)
Yesterday
B1 33: J McCloskey (St Canice's) WO M Dawson (Holy Trinity); B1 37: JJ Boyle (Clonard RSC3 J Lawlor (Ratoath); B2 35: S Duke (Omagh BA 0-5 S Thompson (Spartans); B2 40: F Duffy (St Joseph's 0-5 S Quinn (St Paul's); B2 43: J Doherty (Holy Trinity 5-0 C Burns (Holy Trinity); B2 48: C Kelly (Clonard 1-4 J Molyneaux (Holy Trinity); B3 50: G Brown (Emerald 0-5 E White (Castleblaney); B3 72: D Ramsey (Emerald) 1-4 A Taggart (Ormeau Road); B4 48: M Doherty (Holy Trinity) 4-1 A Sneddon (Forgewood Scotland); B4 57: L Welsh Jonesy’s (Stirling) 5-0 T Hanna (Townland); B5 52: L McMahon (Spartans) 1-4 B McDonagh (Dunfanaghy); B 57: A Perrie Jonesy’s (Stirling) Exh J O’Donnell (St George’s); B6 91+: D Burns (Townland) RSC2 J Philips (Ardoyne HC)
Ulster final
B123 35: B Ferran (Holy Trinity) 5-0 Caoilte Jones (Camlough)
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LEFT HOOKS
THE all-Ulster showdown between Teo Alin and Jack McGivern could be the pick of Friday night’s Irish senior semi-finals at the National Stadium in Dublin.
St George’s ace McGivern came into the competition off the back of his confidence-boosting Ulster title success earlier this month, when he got the better of Star’s Lee McKee in the 60 kilo final, and accounted for Crumlin’s Andrei Alexander in the last eight.
Cookstown’s Alin, meanwhile, comes into Friday’s fight off the back of his gold medal at the Celtic Box Cup in Dungarvan last month. He scored a unanimous 5-0 win over Riverstown’s Martin Noonan in his quarter-final.
Talented light-welter Caoimhin Ferguson (Emerald) is also looking forward to a last four clash with Esker’s Evan Fitzgerald, having been given a quarter-final walkover.
Derry super-heavy Patrick Rogers returns to action when he takes on Ciaran O’Griofa (Celtic Eagles). The winner will face either Martin Mongan (Corpus Christi) or Patrick Lavery (Tredagh) in the 91+ decider on Friday, November 8.
Friday
Irish senior championship semi-finals (6.30pm)
48kg: C Walsh (Smithfield) v D Moorehouse (Enniskerry); 52kg: J Smith (Fr Flanagan’s) v N Horrigan (Hyland Academy); 52kg: S Kavanagh (Monkstown D) v J Cowman (St Paul’s W); 57kg: K Leonard (Curragh) v D Rooney (Sean McDermott); 57kg: J Lehan (DCU) v K McLoughlin (Drimnagh); 56kg: T Donohue (St Michael’s) v J Griffin (Riverstown); 60kg: R Roach (DCU) v R McCormack (St Saviours OBA); 60kg: K Geraghty (Crumlin) v B McCarthy (St Michaels); 60kg: T Alin (Cookstown) v J McGivern (St George’s); 64kg: M O’Donnell (Celtic Eagles) v C Bennett (Swords); 64kg: C Ferguson (Emerald) v E Fitzgerald (Esker); 69kg: K Jaglowska (Celtic Eagles) v C Gallagher (Illies GG); 69kg: M Sammon (Olympic G) v M McDonagh (Geesala); 69kg: M McCole (Illies GG) v S Butler (Riverstown); 75kg: J Harty (Rathkeale) v S O’Brien (St Francis’s); 75kg: D O’Sullivan (Lucan) v O Shields (Illies GG); 81kg: F Rahill (DCU) v T Myers (Sligo City); 81kg: S Crowley (Arklow) v D Houlihan (Kilcullen); 91kg: M Mongans (Rathkeale) v M Rudolf (Crumlin); 91kg: M Skalski (Athlone) v T Maughan (Cavan); 91+kg: M Mongan (Corpus Christi) v P Lavery (Tredagh); 91+kg: P Rogers (St John’s, Derry) v C O’Griofa (Celtic Eagles)
DUBLIN heavyweight Danny O’Brien won bronze medal at the World Military Games in Wuhan, China on Saturday.
O’Brien, who had two-time Olympian Phlip Sutcliffe in his corner, was edged on a majority decision by Kazakhstan’s Abazal Kuttybekov in the 91kg semi-final. He won three fights en route to his podium finish.
The fight was stopped and went back to the scorecards after both men sustained cuts in the second round following an accidental clash of heads, and the man from Central Asia got the nod from three of the five judges.
Kuttybekov was stopped by Uzbekistan’s Mediyar Saydrakhimov in the first round of Sunday’s heavyweight final.
O’Brien joins William Egan (silver), Michael Kelly (gold), James Philips (bronze), Tommy Sheehan (bronze) and Henry Coyle (gold) as an Irish world military boxing medallists since 1995.
Egan, brother of Beijing 2008 finalist Kenny, was shaded (7-5) under the old computer scoring system by Russia’s Andrey Gogolev in welter final in Rome 24 years ago. Six years after that win, Gogolev beat pro boxing legend Carl Froch en route to gold at the 2001 World Elite Championships in Belfast.
