[dropcap]D[/dropcap]CU Boxing enjoyed yet another successful year culminating in again being crowned as Ireland’s top third level boxing club.
The academic year began with success in the Celtic Cup, a multinational competition in which DCU were the only college club at.
DCU sent four fighters to compete, winning two golds as John Marshall and Faolan Rahill won their respective tournaments.
November saw the commencement of the IABA National Senior Boxing Championships – Ireland’s elite amateur boxing competition.
Faolan Rahill represented the club at 81kg in the National Stadium while fellow DCU Boxing member Terry McEntee represented his local club, Old School Boxing Club, in the 60kg weight class.
Both fighters got off to a successful start, winning their first fights in their respective weight classes with Rahill beating Gary Kehoe of Marble City Boxing Club and McEntee overcoming Eoin Meaney on a decision.
The following week saw Rahill progress to the semi-finals before narrowly missing out on a place in the final by a decision defeat to the Ulster Senior Champion.
McEntee came up against the experienced Craig Bonney in the semi-final and proved to be too much for the Hyland Boxing Academy man, progressing to the National Final to face Patryck Adamus.
He again impressed in the final, setting a high pace and forcing Adamus, of Drimnagh Boxing Club, into a count in the second.
McEntee’s pressure continued throughout and the Monaghan man was crowned Irish National Senior Champion 2017 at 60kg with a unanimous decision victory.
That wasn’t the only success for DCU in the winter though as Ceire Smith also won the Ulster Elite 51kg title.
Smith faced Irish Elite champion Carly McNaul of Ormeau Road Boxing Club in the final and proved too much for the Belfast native, forcing a count in the final round before getting the decision.
Next for Smith was the National Elite Championships where she added to her growing list of titles by taking the flyweight title with a dominant victory over Niamh Earley.
The Irish Athletic Third-level Boxing Association (IATBA) championships began on March 10 as DCU looked to again be crowned the top student boxing club in the country, and that they did.
The club took home four titles and were the only club at the championships to win more than 10 bouts – winning 13, the next best being UL with 8.
DCU’s first title came through Daniel Forde in the 60kg Junior Novices as he took he outworked Tony Fox (GMIT) to lift his first title.
Felix Hawksworth was next to taste success as he won the 81kg Senior Novice title, beating UCD’s Darragh Hayes.
Adam Shelley’s first intermediate title – at 75kg – was next as he prevailed on a split decision against UCD’s Sean McGuirk.
Lastly, Terry McEntee won the Elite Senior 60kg title, beating Patryck Adamus (ICFE) in a repeat of the National Senior Boxing Championship final.
Gerard Grimes
Image Credit: DCU Athletic Boxing Club