Leon Gallagher celebrates his Ulster final win with Finn Valley ABC members Sharon Scanlon, Darren Kelly, and club coach Billy Quigley.
BY CHRIS MCNULTY
DONEGAL boxers are heading for the National Stadium in Dublin this weekend for action in the National 14, 15, 16-year old Championships.
A total of sixteen boxers from the county are in the capital to weigh in for the Championships having been crowned as Ulster champions in their respective divisions.
Illies Golden Gloves trio Ryan Greene, John Moran and Joseph Reddin lead the charge from Donegal’s boxers. Greene, who is in the Illies trunks again having been most recently aligned with the Oakleaf ABC, defeated Eglinton’s Cormac Dillon in the Youth 16 57kgs final at the Ulster final, while Reddin overcame Eolm McElhill in the Youth 16 66kgs decider. Moran had a walkover win in the province, but will join his club-mates in gunning for National glory.
Leon ‘Chip’ Gallagher from Conor Quigley’s stable at the Finn Valley is also in action, having defeated Jordan Gilloway of Mourne in the Boy 14 66kgs Ulster final. Gallagher is a Eurpoean bronze medalist from last year and is looking to make more inroads at national level, starting this weekend when he takes to the scales for the national finals.
Convoy flier Bryan McNamee is another man aiming for the bright lights this weekend, with the Deele College student heading to the capital in a rich vein of form.
Carndonagh’s Liam Callaghan is also in the mix as he advanced after scoring an impressive win over Shearnan Kelly from Immaculata, Strabane, in the Youth 16 50kgs final at the recent finals.
Also heading for the capital are the in-form St Johnston cousins, McGinty and Toland, who both wear the colours of Oakleaf
McGinty was red-hot in his Ulster final as Martin McDonagh from Cavan felt the full wrath of the explosive Mongavlin lad. A fiery volley of punches in the opening round forced the referee to stop the contest before the fighters could even return to their corners. And Toland defeated Shane McClorey from Newry in the Boys 14 54kgs final on a majority decision.
Both have been in red-hot form and are in fine fettle these days.
The other Donegal punchers in action are: Letterkenny’s Brian Elliot, Stephen Bonner and Denver Gill of Buncrana, Conor Kennedy from Ballyshannon, Twin Towns man Conor McGlynn, Dungloe’s Kevin McMonagle, Gavin Johnston of St John Bosco and Edward McEleney from St Bridget’s, Clonmany.
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