THE SECOND LIFFEY Crane Hire National Elite Championship of the year may have lacked some of its usual lustre given seven of February’s champions were pulled out of November’s pre-Olympic edition — officially citing injuries — leaving a sour taste in the mouths of some opponents who feel they have now missed the boat for Olympic qualifiers in the spring.
But even in the absence of Kellie Harrington, Kurt Walker, Brendan Irvine, Gabriel Dossen, James McGivern, Michael Nevin, and Dean Gardiner, there were still 17 finals to be decided in the National Stadium on Friday night.
In the one showpiece with definite Olympic ramifications, and arguably the highest-profile clash of the evening, it was Cork’s Christina Walsh who repeated her early-2019 success over Irish team-mate and friend Gráinne Walsh, edging the Tullamore woman out on a 4-1 split decision to retain her welterweight (69kg) title.
Fr Horgan’s BC’s Desmond, a Dungarvan-based garda, will now surely bid for Tokyo 2020 qualification in what is an Olympic division, while Spartacus star Walsh may be forced to park her own Olympic dream despite earning a bronze at the European Games in June.
There was success for two other Walshes and disappointment for a fourth, as well. Tokyo medal prospect Michaela Walsh of Belfast (57kg) bagged her ninth title at this level while her brother, Aidan (69kg), earned his first, beating the unrelated Callum Walsh of Riverstown BC having eliminated the reigning champion, Kieran Molloy of Galway, earlier in the week.
As always, @michaelaw57 throwing every punch as little bro Aidan does his thing.
— Joe O'Neill (@J0E_90) November 22, 2019
Claimed his first Elite title tonight an hour or so after Michaela won her ninth. pic.twitter.com/HaJExAk6V6
There was breakthrough success, too, for Jude Gallagher in the men’s 52kg decider: the 18-year-old won a stunning fight with European Games bronze medallist Regan Buckley on a unanimous decision.
In Gallagher’s corner was his head trainer, Eric Donovan, who aims to move to 11-0 in the professional ranks in Glasgow on Saturday night.
Another 18-year-old, Daina Moorehouse, who featured in The42′s 18 for 18 ‘ones to watch’ series two years ago, also won her maiden Elite title, the Eniskerry BC woman beating Shannon Sweeney on a UD.
Liffey Crane Hire National Elite Championships results
60kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) W/O
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) W/O
81+kg Naoise Finney (Ballybrack) W/O
49kg Sean Mari (Monkstown Dublin) beat Ricky Nesbitt (Holy Family Drogheda) 3-2
64kg Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa) beat Ciara Ginty (Geesala) 3-2
81kg Nell Fox (Rathkeale) beat Leona Houlihan (Crumlin) 5-0
60kg Brandon McCarthy (St Michael’s Athy) beat Barry McReynolds (Holy Trinity) 5-0
48kg Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry) beat Shannon Sweeney (St Anne’s) 5-0
75kg Jason Harty (Rathkeale) beat John Joe Nevin (Crumlin) 4-1
81kg Emmett Brennan (Docklands) beat Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown A) beat Emma Agnew (Dealgan) RSC2
51kg Ceire Smith (Cavan) beat Niamh Early (Ryston) 5-0
52kg Jude Gallagher (Two Castles) beat Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s) 5-0
57kg Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott’s) beat Patryk Adamus (Drimnagh) 5-0
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) beat Callum Walsh (Riverstown) 5-0
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) beat Grainne Walsh (Spartacus) 4-1
63kg George Bates (St Mary’s Dublin) beat Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) 4-1
91+kg Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone) beat Toto Ó Griofa (Celtic Eagles)
54kg Sarah Haghighat (St Brigids Edenderry) beat Zara Breslin (Tramore) 5-0
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) beat Daniel O’Brien (Defence Forces) 5-0
