National titles for three Donegal boxers

Three Donegal boxers were toasting national glory at the Irish Boy/Girl 123 Championships at the weekend.

Illies Golden Gloves’ Roisin Hegarty, Molloy Lafferty of Twin Towns and Raphoe Boxing Club’s Taylor Parke all had their hands raised at the National Stadium.

It was a case of third time lucky for Parke, who was previously a two-time Irish finalist.

Parke defeated Olympic BC’s Calvin Stokes in the Boy 3 35kgs final. The ‘Blonde Bomber’ from Glenmaquin was given a 4-1 split decision after a fine display.

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Parke defeated Santry puncher Rhys Dillon in his semi-final and the Royal & Prior student upped the ante again in the final.

Parke joins a unique list of Raphoe BC boxers who have won Irish titles, including the great Danny Ryan, who was the Irish middleweight champion in 1993 before turning professional.

Taylor Parke with Raphoe coaches and team-mates.

In the Girl 3 47kgs decider, Lafferty landed another crown for the Twin Towns BC. Lafferty defeated Layla Kelly from Baldoyle to take home the title.

Lafferty was given a 4-1 split decision from the judges.

Molly Lafferty

In Friday evening’s Girl 1 51kgs final, Hegarty didn’t even let the ringside arbitrators have their say.

The Letterkenny native, boxing out of the Illies Golden Gloves, was in devastating form. Hegarty stopped Ratoath’s Michaela O’Brien in the second round of their clash.

It was a superb win for the young Illies boxer, who showed she’s one to watch.

Raphoe’s John Gerard Ward was unfortunate in the Boy 2 76kgs final as he was pipped by Townland’s Eoin McGarry. Ward was up on the cards heading for the last stanza, but he ran out of steam, and McGarry took a slender 3-2 split decision.

There was disappointment too for Dunganaghy trio Carys McFadden, Eddie McBride and Owen McDonagh.

McFadden lost to Carly O’Herron (Rochfordbridge) in the Girl 3 41kgs final; McDonagh was bested by Ballymun’s Blake Wolohan in the Boy 2 50kgs final; with McBride losing out to Sacre Coeur’s Oisin Goff in the Boy 2 48kgs final.