Conan Kearney’s bid for a second Irish title fell short at the National Stadium on Saturday.
The St Bridget's Clonmany boxer was beaten by Portlaoise’s Edward Harty in the Boy 3 59kgs final.
Kearney won a Boy 2 title in December and was back in the capital in confident tune.
Wins over Cody Goggins and Levi Mongan - who he defeated in the Boy 2 decider - heightened Kearney’s feeling.
Harty, though, would prove the dominant man in Saturday’s final.
Harty took the verdicts of four of the ringside judges with the other siding for Kearney. It meant a 4-1 split decision win for Harty.
It is also a whitewash for Donegal boxers in the Boy and Girl 1, 2 and 3 finals with Gavin McDaid, Eoghan McCallion (both Illies Golden Gloves), Harry Cunningham (Carndonagh), Taylor Parke (Raphoe) and Molly Lafferty (Twin Towns) also losing out in finals in recent weeks.
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