BY CHRIS MCNULTY

CARNDONAGH’S Labhaoise Clarke won her fifth Irish title this weekend and is firmly in the frame to be selected for the European Women’s Youth and Junior Championships next month in Italy.

The Carndonagh bantamweight defeated Clondard’s Sophie Tierney via a unanimous decision win on Sunday morning at the National Stadium.

Clarke’s star is on the up continuously and she made no mistake with a comfortable triumph to keep her title count moving.

Clarke opened the Championships on Friday night with a convincing win over Samantha Doyle of Cashel, the Inishowen woman claiming a 3-0 decision.

In the Saturday semi-final, she was pushed all the way, but still had the edge on Crumlin’s Shaneen Flynn, with Clarke taking a 2-1 win.

Clarke had previously won titles at Girl 1, 2, 3 and 4 levels. Just last month, she had won her fourth Irish crown, defeating Erin Heneghan from Aglish in County Mayo in the Girl 4 54kgs final.

Sunday’s win now sees her in contention to be selected for duty at the European Championships in Assisi, Italy between July 19th and 28th.

There was no joy for rising Twin Towns BC ace Ciara Anderson, who lost out to Shauna Blaney of Navan in a 46kgs semi-final on Friday night. Anderson, who had claimed the win in the Youth 1 46kgs division last month, was beaten by way of a TKO in the second round of their contest. Blaney went on to win the title, defeating Niamh Kelly of Baldoyle 3-0 in the final.