Girl power drives Illies Golden Gloves to Ulster titles

Illies Golden Gloves toasted four wins in the ring in the Ulster boy/girl 123 Championship finals on Sunday.

Cassie Lynch, Roisin Hegarty, Cormac Callaghan and Andrew McLaughlin all had their hands raised in the ring with Donegal set to be well represented in the national boy/girl 123 finals at the National Stadium later this month.

The Ulster finals took place on Sunday at Rochester’s Boxing Club in Derry.

Lynch got the ball rolling for the Illies contingent when she won the Girl 1 39kgs final. Lynch claimed the unanimous decision to see off Amy McManus of St Pat’s.

Hegarty also took the unanimous verdict from the ringside judges to take the Girl 1 51kgs crown, defeating Armagh’s Phoebe Clarke.

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Callaghan won on a 4-1 split decision in the Boy 2 35kgs final, overcoming St John Bosco’s Kyle Gribbin.

McLaughlin was the emphatic victor in the Boy 2 54kgs final. McLaughlin defeated Eddie McDonagh from Armagh in the Boy 2 54kgs final.

There was double delight for St Bridget’s, Clonmany pair Michael McGonigle, who beat John Jo Coyle from Cookstown in the Boy 1 35kgs final and Tyler McGonigle, who overcame Armagh’s Cathair Morgan in the Boy 1 43kgs decider.

Dunfanaghy BC was also celebrating on the double.

Owen McDonagh stopped Sean Doran’s Eoghan Cunningham to get his hands on the Boy 2 50kgs title, while Conor McFadden defeated Camlough’s Adam Quinn in the Boy 1 33kgs final.

Raphoe’s Tyler Keaveney took the Boy 1 37kgs crown after edging a narrow 3-2 split decision against Emyvale’s Lucas Connolly.

Twin Towns’ Brian Anderson was beaten by Kajus Dubonviucs from Portadown in their showdown in the Boy 3 54kgs final, while Dunfanaghy’s Huidi Coyle lost out to Carrickmore’s Johnny Corcoran in the Boy 3 41.5kgs decider.

Dunree’s Gareth Doyle came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 split against Patrick Whitehouse (Killyman) at Boy 3 40kgs, Illies’ Patrick McDaid lost out against Pearse McCann from Gilford in the Boy 1 56kgs final and St Bridgets lad Ryan Glackin lost the Boy 1 38.5kgs final on a 4-1 split to Malachy Nugent from Armagh.

Several Donegal boxers also won titles via walkover and will also go forward to the national finals: Shane Dobbins (Illies, Boy 1 50kgs), Harry McBride (Dunfanaghy, Boy 1 52kgs), Ava Bradley (Illies, Girl 1 37kgs), Danni Doherty (Letterkenny, Girl 1 45kgs), Colm Callaghan (Carndonagh, Boy 2 46kgs), Eddie McDonagh (Dunfanaghy (Boy 2 48kgs), John Gerard Ward (Raphoe, Boy 2 76kgs), Isla Larkin (Letterkenny, Girl 2 45kgs), Ava Clarke (Carndonagh, 49kgs), Taylor Parke (Raphoe, Boy 3 33kgs), Killian Caldwell (Carrigart, Boy 3 52kgs), Roco McDaid (Illies, Boy 3 56kgs), Shaun Doohan (Dunfanaghy, Boy 3 65kgs), Patrick Doherty (Illies, Boy 3 76kgs), Carys McFadden (Dunfanaghy, Girl 3 41kgs), Molly Lafferty (Twin Towns, Girl 3 47kgs), Rachel Harron (Raphoe, Girl 3 55kgs), Alesha Mullis-Boyle (Dungloe, Girl 3 63kgs).