MOLLOY'S RIGHT NAILS COUNTY BOXING TITLE

In two and a half hours on Tuesday night, at the Boxing Gym, Westside, the boys and youths of the county's boxing clubs pitted their skill and courage for the 2005 County Galway titles, before a full and enthused audience. Few would disagree that the best of the night's entertainment, and some of the best boxing of the season so far, was provided in the Youth1:57kg confrontation between Ronan Molloy (Oughterard) and Eoin C Ward (Galway BC).
A kind of expectancy fell over the crowd, when these two lithe athletes answered the first bell and began to circle the ring in tango, testing each other with swift left jabs and tentative combinations. Though Molloy was the first to make a clear connection, there was not much between the two as the first round drew to a close.
Yet this was a fight that grew in intensity, as the boxers searched their own arsenals for that winning inspiration or that extra ounce of guile. Consequently, the second round provided an enthralling spectacle, as each answered the other's best shot with another challenge, and the winner was the crowd, who were hooked on a classic by now. Fine footwork, jabs, good combinations, a fabulous straight right from Molloy, probably the punch of the night, which Ward had the courage to counter with one of his own, all echoed one other in the centre of the ring. Just when it couldn't get any better, it did, with a stand-up final round in which round two was repeated, only with extra relish. And Molloy's right crackled again, like a lightning bolt, to settle a tight decision in his favour.
Brian Brosnan (Olympic) gave a composed display, when he stopped Michael Lynch (Ballinasloe) in the second round (Y1:60kg). He showed a purposeful presence in the ring and demonstrated a powerful right, as he proceeded to a comfortable victory. Ballinasloe had more luck in the Boy4:57kg category, where Edward Mongan faced the redoubtable Patrick A Ward of Olympic. Patrick, as usual, gave away inches in height to his opponent, but this did not put him on the defensive. Instead, he showed his well-known courage to contribute to a lively, forceful bout, much enjoyed by the attendance. Neither boxer was willing to give way, and there was some good defensive work on both their parts, which kept the scoring quite low for the number of punches thrown.
This was the Ballinasloe club's debut at the championships, since their formation, and they had another success with Martin Mongan in the B2:42kg, who triumphed over Michael Ward (Loughrea). The initiative see-sawed between these two: the Loughrea man dominating the early exchanges with some good combinations, but throughout the rest of rounds one and two he seemed to come off second best, most of the time. His recovery, in the final round, when his boxing became more controlled again, was not sufficient to save the contest for him.
Another debutant club, Tobar Pheadair, (Peterswell), also had a success story. Their sole representative, James Fahy, came up against an opponent, who had recently defeated him, in Patrick A Mongan, (Loughrea), (B4:66kg). Mongan began well and delivered some clean combinations, but Fahy refused to be cowed by the occasion, and from his crouched defensive stance began to convert to attack. He forced Mongan to rethink his tactics, and became the aggressor himself. His third round was a studied version of controlled aggression, driving Mongan onto the ropes, relenting and before Mongan could gain the centre of the ring again, stepping up his attack once more. The boxer and the tactics worked. Peterswell, a village on the slopes of the Slieve Aughtys, which a few months ago had no boxing club, now has a champion. Like the "Galacticos" of Real Madrid.
Another "Galactico" now gazes across at the mountains of The Burren from Furbo. Cian Thornton had a whirlwind victory in the B4:63kg over Charles J Ward (Galway BC), when the referee stopped the contest in the second round. Robert Kerins (Loughrea) grew in confidence, as his contest with Colin McMahon (Oughterard) (B1:46kg) progressed. He was taller and more mobile than his opponent, using a leading left to great effect in the early exchanges. As he found his range, he began to unleash his right, which proved an uncannily accurate weapon and arrived as a straight right, a cross or even a bodyshot. He was a strong winner on points.
Two Oughterard members had the field to themselves in the B2:36kg final. They were Patrick Gibbons and Aaron Casey. This was an entertaining fight. Both boxers showed a high level of skill. Casey fought well with both fists and battled manfully, when under pressure from Gibbons. However, Gibbons produced such a variety of shots and exerted so much pressure that ultimately he showed too much quality for Casey and ran out a deserving winner. Matthew Connelly (Loughrea) (B2:39) proved to be another game scrapper in his contest with Joe Shaughnessy (Oughterard). The audience appreciated the enthusiasm and pluck of these young boys and responded wholeheartedly to their efforts. Shaughnessy proved to be the winner, but the crowd took both to their hearts.
David McDonagh (Olympic) (Y2:75kg) held a good height and reach advantage over Darren Lyons (Ballinasloe) ad took advantage of these together with superior firepower and greater experience in ring craft to hand out a lesson in tournament boxing to the boy from the new club. The referee stepped in to stop the contest in the second round, McDonagh being the clear winner.
It was probably too much to expect the charismatic show, produced by Eddie Ward (Loughrea) and Tommy O'Brien Whelan (Monivea) (B3:48kg) at the Loughrea tournament a fortnight ago, but they still turned in an enthralling performance with the outcome in doubt, right to the final buzzer. From the off concentration was etched on these young boxers' faces, as they circled and tangled vigorously with agility about the ring. Only one point separated them at the end of this bout. Perhaps this is one of the great rivalries of Galway boxing that has many more instalments to run.
Other winners on the night were: Sean Gibbons (Oughterard) who beat his club mate Albert McDonagh B1:33kg; Edward Delaney (Olympic), a good winner over Leon Halion (Galway BC) (B2:44kg); Stephen Barrett (Olympic) who saw off Enda McGrath of Ballinasloe (B3:50kg); Sean Concannon (Furbo) (B3:57kg) put on a fine display in defeating Patrick J Ward (Tuam); Shane Molloy (Oughterard) (B4:70kg) just seemed to have too much power for Patrick A Ward (Olympic) and Michael F Ward (Galway BC) (Y2:75kg) had a clear points win over James Greaney (Oughterard). There was also a number of walkover winners by default.