Medals galore for St Monica’s Boxing Club and a spot on the Irish U18 squad for James McCann
St Monica’s Boxing Club notes
What a week of championship boxing it was for St Monica’s Boxing club in the All-Ireland qualifying Antrim Open at the Black Mountain Shared Space Centre in Belfast last week.
All boxers are in peak condition to book their place at the All-Ireland Championships next month in The National Stadium in Dublin.
Kayla Harris Girl 4 39kg, Joe (Toke) McParland Boy 4 39kg, Daire McGuinness Y1 54kg, Liam Ward Y2 60kg, James McCann 17yrs 54kg all claimed gold in their weight division.
Coach Owen Murphy said: “To come away with five gold medals is a credit to these young athletes, the club and its coaches.
"They are in the gym five days a week training, sparring and doing what is asked of them. They should be very proud of themselves.”
Four of these boxers will go onto All-Ireland Championships in March, while James McCann will be in contest again later in the year. Currently James is training with the U18 Irish squad and has been called up to represent Ireland v Wales in an international in the historic Guildhall in Derry on Saturday, March 1.
This is the first Youth international to take place since March 2023, when Ireland took on England in a dual-nations following a training camp in Ballina, Co. Mayo.
Ireland last met Wales in a dual-nations in February, 2022, in a predominantly Youth programme. That ended in five wins, apiece, for each federation.
The team have been in training at Dealgan BC, Louth and at the National Stadium, Dublin, and concluded their final training session on Saturday.
This is a great opportunity for James, who has taken his boxing to another level since he came back after an injury at the end of November.
Everyone at the club wishes James the best of luck as he gets his first Irish vest.
St Monica’s BC also have Ryan Murphy at the Ulster High Performance Squad Training having won the Ulster Elites last month. This is a busy time for the club and all of the great coaches who are committed to the club.