The touring boxers from Loughrea and their companions from West Clare who travelled to Weymouth on the weekend of the 10th -12th October, for a tournament with the local boxing club, were delighted by the welcome prepared for them by their Dorset hosts. They were introduced to many of the attractions of not just the town but of the Dorset area, and enjoyed a fascinating weekend, which broadened everyone's mind, boxers and officials alike, as well as enjoying a competitive tournament. Weymouth is a harbour town, one with a long history, and this is commemorated in the Maritime Museum, housed in the Old Brewery, expertly adapted for the purpose. Here the visitors saw plenty of reminders of when Brittania ruled the waves, and when the press gangs of Her Majesty's Naval Forces rubbed shoulders with the dubious crews of privateers, buccaneers and the conniving gangs of wreckers, who swept the shoreline luring unsuspecting ships onto the rocks, only to strip them of their cargo. All of this in the narrow lanes about the harbour. The town has a number of other competing claims to fame, which would satisfy all types of interest. One of these is that the tank was invented there during the First World War and effectively brought victory and an end to the slaughter of that terrible conflict. The travelling team were given a guided tour by an army expert of the Tank Museum in the local military academy, where they saw an array of tanks, from the original prototypes up to the most modern models in use in Iraq today. This is the largest museum of its type in the world. O n a more cultural note much of the town retains its old world charm. So much of the old town is preserved that the film of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd was made there, which is a good point to introduce the County of Dorset as Hardy used the area for the background to his classic novels. The team and their officials were also treated to a tour of the shoreline of this picturesque county and had a chance to admire its many cosy beaches and chalky cliffs. This was enhanced by weather conditions where shortsleeves and summer dresses were the norm. One of the highlights was the sight of the figure of George III on horseback cut into the chalk hill at Osmington. This figure is 323 feet high and 280 feet long. The white chalk outline stands out against the surrounding green vegetation. The visit was brought to a close by a trip to Tower Park Water World, whose waterslides and chutes are not for the claustrophobic or fainthearted. The boxers stood up well to the test of enjoying themselves.
The social side of the tour was a resounding success and enlightening to all of the boxers and officials alike.

TOURNAMENT

     The standard of competition was very high and the Weymouth Club produced a very good team of fit and skilful boxers to make for a night of close contests and exciting fare. Of the Loughrea boxers Jake McNally (Boy3. 54kg) was first into the ring against Ben Small of Weymouth. The decision was in doubt up to the final seconds but went against the Loughrea man, only on a majority decision by one point. John Mongan (Y2.60kg) was the next Loughrea boxer in the ring. He put up his usual battling performance, but it was not enough on the night and he lost narrowly to Afsheen Marseh. His brother Pat Mongan (Youth1. 54kg) followed him into the ring. Pat gave more than a head in height to his opponent, Brendan Thomas, but did not let this intimidate him. Forcing the fight with an amazing array of hooks and jabs to the body he exhausted his opponent, who took a standing count in the third round. Pat's was a resounding victory.
     In the second half of the programme Ian Clarke (Senior Light Middleweight) was involved in a battling contest, when he went toe to toe, in the centre of the ring, to the final bell with Andrew McGivern. McGivern won, but only on a split decision, and both boxers earned a standing ovation from an ecstatic crowd. Eddie Ward (Senior Light Middleweight) gave the most impressive display of the Loughrea group on the night with some fine, controlled boxing and strong punching, which gave him an overwhelming and unanimous decision over Anthony White.
     The Best Boxer Of the Evening accolade went to David Sweetman (Bantamweight) of West Clare, who outboxed the local favourite Peter Wiffen and then knocked him out in the second round.
A strange fate awaited Cathal Felle's (Senior Light Middleweight) bout, which ended the evening. Cathal arrived in his corner and awaited his opponent, who failed to appear. He had gone for a short run, his coach explained, but there was no sign of him returning as Cathal, the referee, the judges and the crowd waited. Perhaps the quick end to the Sweetman/Wiffen fight stimulated the marathon runner in him.
With this walkover the Loughrea/West Clare combination won the tournament by eight bouts to seven.

(clare champion)