Talented Bantry boxers deliver knockout blows

Knock-out successes: 2015 championship boxers from Bantry Amateur Boxing Club, Emmet Lyons, Sebh Kingerlee, Stefen O’Neill, Vilson Kotarja, Tom McGuinn, Dan McGuinn, Jack Desmond, James Desmond, Alan Kelly and Cathal Tisdale (missing from photo is Cathal Dullea.)

SEVEN county titles and four Munster titles were delivered to Bantry Amateur Boxing Club after some knock-out performances at this year’s county and provincial championships.

At the county championships that were held at the Glen ABC recently, all 11 Bantry boxers made it to the finals in their respective categories, picking up seven county titles.

Brothers Jack and James Desmond both won county titles along with Sebh Kingerlee, Tom McGuinn, Emmet Lyons, Stefen O’Neill and Vilson Kotarja. Alan Kelly, Cathal Tisdale, Cathal Dullea and Dan McGuinn were runners-up in their finals.

At the provincial championships that took place over two weekends at the Southside Boxing Academy in Limerick, Bantry’s young boxers won four Munster titles from an entry of eight.

The Desmond brothers, Jack and James, once again produced the goods to win their Munster finals having qualified through the preliminary stages from the weekend before.

They were joined by Tom McGuinn and Sebh Kingerlee, who also won the titles in their weight divisions.

There were great displays from Bantry’s other boxers who were unfortunate to be edged out, all by split decisions, at the semi-final stage. Cathal Dullea, Cathal Tisdale, Emmet Lyons and Stefen O’Neill all gave fantastic performances in their categories, and on another day may well have got the nod. Bright futures lie ahead for all of these lads.

The four winners now progress to the national finals, which will take place at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin, this month. Exciting times lie ahead for these boys.