Golden boy Eamon still boxing clever

Returning from Delhi less than two weeks ago to a guard of honour, a ministerial welcome and hundreds of fans, the amateur boxer's family tells the Sentinel how the champion dominated the boxing ring to carry home a gold medal for his nation.

Understandably proud of his son, Eamon's father, Lawrence, said: "What I have always insisted on and always believed in, was you don't have to be the best in the world but you can be the fittest in the world."

"Everyone has a level of ability, no matter what sport they do. The last excuse they want to offer is that they are not fit enough. Anyone can be fit and anyone can be 100 per cent fit," he said, adding: "Eamon was always a good trainer. He doesn't drink or smoke, he's got a Masters Degree at University, not many people can claim that. So I always knew he was a winner, even if he didn't win the gold medal. He was always a winner in my eyes."

Recalling Eamonn's younger years, unlike most who support the young boxer, Lawrence was able to watch his son's great talent grow and develop.

Belief

"I just seen Eamonn as he developed throughout his whole life. When he was young I allowed him to go to Cuba for a month just to train with the Cubans. But I saw it at that time, when he was just 17, coming from a pretty intermediate boxer into just touching a senior. Now that's the earliest you can put a boxer into senior level is 17 so he went with the NI team to train with the Cubans. At that stage that Along with the likes of Paul McCloskey, John Duddy and all those guys. So he was only a 17 year-old to go who was going to train with the likes of those guys. I believe that month gave him a taste of just what he needed to do.

"And, I suppose it's all his own belief as well. You have to have a belief in life and you have to believe you have the capability of doing it. And I think Eamonn always had those capabilities. Look how a person can take in something mentally, how they can actually learn anything. I think you have to have that capacity in your brain to be able to learn something and adapt. Certainly Eamonn knows that. There's days where you have to adapt and change on your feet, from round to round. And obviously Eamonn at this level is able to do that quite well. Knows exactly where he is in the fight, knows exactly what he needs to do so if he comes into the corner, I know there's one or two things you might say to him but, generally he knows. "

According to Lawrence the trip away wasn't simply a holiday for the team.

"I think Eamonn will admit this himself, but this was more of an experience for some of the boys, not a holiday or anything just an experience. It was their first time away. Not for Eamonn, Eamonn had a job to do and I am sure from day to day, for me anyway, it was pressure, thinking every morning, every day of the fight. About how the opponent would box. I did his corner for the club here, along with Vinny Hargan who done the club here. I spent hours of everyday thinking about that," he said.

"Not everyday you get up and win. But when you do it's still part of the jig-saw and there's still work to be done. So I could never imagine that they could ever relax, it was always pressure.

"My first memory was when I arrived home one day and Colleen said to me that Gary and Eamonn were going to be boxing in a wee show in the town.

"In my eyes it's affected the area in the same way as the year Derry won the All-Ireland, that's the effect it has on this house. Every time I meet someone they are shaking my hand, every time my phone goes people are asking me about it. There's so much enthusiasm, so much it's nearly unreal."

A mother's pride

It must be particularly difficult for a mother to watch her son in the ring, but Colleen is also very supportive of her son's efforts.

"I would've been more worried about the whole boxing thing when Eamonn started at just six-years-old. Me, Lawrence, Laureen, and Charlene were there in India to see him win and it was just unbelievable, it was like something out of a film. Whenever the first boy got a bronze we were delighted to come home with a medal, but we ended up getting five bronze, and of course the gold."

Eamonn's talent was something that could be seen from early on, according to his brother, Gary, who said: "You could always see it in Eamonn. He always did well. He was never afraid and had no fear. Now everyone's asking what's his next move, is he going to go Pro or what's he going to do. But at the moment he's just enjoying the moment."

Meanwhile, his sister Charlene said: "There's a big competiveness in our house whether it be a game of cards or a game of bowls. We would have a family game of bowls when everyone is home and it's just that same competitiveness between us all. You know rightly when you're going in that you're not going to win, but you still want to!

" Eamonn has never ever been a drinker or a smoker. It's always been sport first. His only weak point is that he loves his food. That's his thing but he is so disciplined.

"When Eamonn reached the semi's, just knowing that he had got through to the medal stages, he was ecstatic. He jumped into the crowd and was over-the-moon. Then he did the same thing when he won the gold. It's his passion. "

Eamonn and Nicola were dating for 13 years and married three years ago in June.

Over the years Nicola admits to having bouts of nerves when she watches her husband in the ring, but says it's a healthy sign.

"When he first brought me to a match I was abit nervous and even now you still do get a bit nervous but it's healthy to have nerves," she said, adding: "I know he can look after himself and touch wood, to this day I have never seen him get into a real brawl where he couldn't manage. "

She continued: "I wasn't able to go to India. You kind of wish you were there but we actually spoke to Eamonn more times than his family did because security was very tough in Delhi. Eamon had a wee phone with a sim card, we had more communication. Watching him win, it was just brilliant, it didn't get really hyper until the medal stages, I knew what was going on because I always watch it. But it got to the excitement stage and it was hyper, mental, mad. It was just great. "

Understandably, Eamonn and his family are recognised when out.

"When we went up to the airport to meet Eamonn, people were coming up to me and shaking my hand saying congratulations. Then someone would say well behind every great man there's an even better woman. Ok well I'm happy enough with that!

"Our son Charlie just toddled about throughout the whole thing. When the TV cameras were here, everyone was clapping away and he was clapping too, he just loved the attention. His father's son! He won't remember anything but we have kept all the papers and things so it will be great to look over."

I feel great

"I feel great," was how Eamonn chose to express his success in India.

Understandably over the moon at what he achieved and the support he received, the subsequent invites and awards he has received, he said: "It's crazy to think that what I've achieved has taken the nation by storm."

"There were crowds of people screaming and you're just thinking this is crazy. And I'm kissing Charlie and Nicola and there's about 20 or 30 photographers trying to kill each other to get a photograph. And then when you give a few interviews, it all settles down and you driving home. Then you see the cars, the guard of honour, then there's loads of people there to meet me from the Mayor. Everyone was looking photographs and autographs, it's not something I'm used to and I didn't expect it."

"I was part of the team in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur when we got a silver medal with Liam Cunningham. He was also part of the 2000 team which went to Cuba. I wasn't picked to go to the team to Manchester. There was Paul McCloskey, Liam Cunningham, Marty Lindsay there was a wealth of international talent and experience there and they didn't come home with a medal. So I said I would work on myself for four years to go to Melbourne and then we flopped, we didn't get any medals and I was very disappointed. "

Admitting there was a certain pressure from the lack of medals, he went on: "We didn't let the pressure get to us, we had physiologists there with us who told us 'Control, control. Take one fight at a time, each round at a time and take it from there' And we did that.

"To be captain of that team was just brilliant. The four lads that didn't medal could have very easily . To go from being the worst boxing nation to the best boxing nation, to be part of that is just great. You couldn't have dreamed it up.

"Without a doubt this wouldn't be possible without my dad driving me, from all the different sports hurling, running, football, athletics. He took me to everything and I think boxing was the one I got the most satisfaction out of winning. It's one of the toughest sports in the world, with all the skill levels. Without my father pushing me and guiding me, not forcing me, I wouldn't have won any titles. Without my mother doing my washing, my brother keeping me on my toes, I wouldn't have been as sharp. I can't say enough for them. In India they were getting the crowd behind me, everyone loved them and they were saying they loved me.

"I wouldn't have been back at boxing only for my wife. She seen how much it was bugging me and she told me to go back. They say behind every great man is a great woman, well in my case that's definitely true. I am very lucky to have an amazing son that I love dearly and it was very hard being away from them. The support I get is unbelievable. Yes they made it possible.

"It's not one training camp that got me where I am today it's been trial and error. Between everyone who helped me, including my family, my mum, dad, sisters Rose Marie, Charlene, Laureen and her husband who also travelled to India, brother Gary, Nicola and Charlie I am so grateful to have them."