Oran Wallace (Dungloe).
BY CHRIS MCNULTY
ORAN Wallace of Dungloe powered his way into the Ulster 9 Counties final after an impressive win over Cookstown’s Ruairi Devlin.
The wintery weather didn’t have an adverse effect in the 9 Counties Championships for Boy and Girl 1, 2 and 3, which were held at Burnfoot’s Halfway House.
In the Boy 3 48kgs semi-final, Wallace, a classy southpaw, caught the eye in a fine win. The Wallace name is synonymous with boxing in Dungloe and he won through to Saturday’s final, being held again in Burnfoot.
In the Boy 3 50kgs division, Convoy’s Ryan Ward Mulrine was red hot as he out-classed Ethan McDonagh of Omagh’s Sacred Heart to reach the final.
Bluestack boxer Michael Patrick Ward, in the Boy 3 70kgs class, had too much for Dylan Mischenki from Cavan, Ward turning in a brilliant bout to reach next weekend’s decider.
Dunfanaghy’s Odhran Doogan gave a gutsy display in the Boy 1 44kgs semi-final, but he lost out in a split decision to Martin Stokes from All Saints in Ballymena.
On Saturday, Letterkenny’s Dylan Browne McMonagle defeated Aaron Treanor of Emyvale to reach the Boy 1 31kgs final, while Adam Hall from Dunfanaghy will contest the Boy 2 36kgs final after a win over Springtown lad Tiernan Conway.
There was defeat, though, for a number of Donegal punchers on Saturday.
Raphoe duo Orin Devine and Liam McMonagle lost out in their contests. Devine was pipped by Ethan McDonagh (Sacred Heart, Newry) at Boy 3 50kgs while McMonagle was stopped in round 2 by Shane O’Gorman from St Malachy’s Newry in the Boy 2 44kgs class.
Bluestack pairing Tom Ward and Charlie Ward also suffered losses. Tom Ward was beaten by Joseph McArdle from Ligoneil while Charlie came unstuck against Silverbridge’s Sean McGenity.
Lisburn man Thomas Orr stopped Bundoran’s Gerard Oates in round two, while Oisin Wallace (Dungloe) missed out again St Malachy’s Rory O’Gorman and Adam Clarke, also of Bundoran, came out second best against Dillon McDonagh from Omagh.
Letterkenny lad Michael O’Donnell also suffered defeat, falling against another St Malachy’s puncher, Jamie Lee Ward.
31 finals will be held on Saturday in the Halfway House. Weigh-in is from 9.30-10.30am with boxing underway at 11am. There were a total of 142 entries from 44 clubs this weekend.
A host of other Donegal boxers will line up in finals: Odhran McSorley (Dunfanaghy, Boy 1 42kgs); Niall Brady-Devenney (Bluestack, Boy 1 46kgs); Martin Ward (Bluestack, Boy 1 54kgs); Michael Connor (Letterkenny, Boy 2 31kgs); Patrick McShane (Letterkenny, Boy 2 33kgs); Alannah Sweeney (Twin Towns, Girl 2, 39kgs); Charlie McDonagh (Bluestack, Boy 3 33kgs) and John Ward (Bluestack, Boy 3 60kgs).
Meanwhile, several Donegal boxers will be crowned champions via walkover wins, including Danny Roulstone (Raphoe), Bernie Ward (Bluestack), Cian Moran (Illies Golden Gloves), Chloe McDaid (Illies Golden Gloves), Leah Gallen (Finn Valley), Shannah Tiffoney (Bundoran), Charles Delaney (Illies Golden Gloves), Patricia O’Brien-Quigley (Finn Valley), Shane Gillespie (Bundoran) and Tom Doherty (Raphoe).
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