JOHN Joe Joyce moved within one bout of a place on the Irish team for next month’s European Championships in Liverpool following a convincing win over Philip Sutcliffe in the semi-finals of the Open Senior Competition at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night.

Ireland beat Poland 5-3 in Donegal last night to take a two-bout lead into the second leg of the senior international series on Friday evening.

ERIC DONOVAN, a gold medallist at the multi-nations tournament in Ostrava, provided Ireland with a much-needed victory in his featherweight contest against the Polish champion, Michal Chudecki.

DARREN O’NEILL tonight appears in an international vest at the National Stadium for the first time when he climbs into the ring against Poland.

DARREN SUTHERLAND (St. Saviours OBA) added the national senior title to his CV with a power-packed performance that overwhelmed Edward Healy (Portlaoise) in the third round of their middleweight final at the finals of the National senior championships last night.

DARREN SUTHERLAND looks set to fulfil another ambition tonight by claiming a national senior title at the National Stadium.

ST. Michael’s, from Athy, will have five boxers in the national senior boxing championship finals, next Friday night.

DAVID OLIVER JOYCE claimed a valuable multi-nations gold medal in Ballybunion last night when he forced Dennis Makarov of Germany to take two standing counts before his corner threw in the towel in the third round of the bantamweight final.

MICHAEL FOUHY faces the biggest assignment of his boxing career when he represents Ireland at heavyweight at the multi-nations tournament in Ballybunion this week.

DAVID Oliver Joyce of St Michael’s, Athy proved that this year’s senior boxing championships were not just about one boxer.

ANDY LEE will be the star attraction again when he defends his middleweight title at the finals of the national championships in the National Stadium tonight.

ANDY LEE made a triumphant return to the National Stadium when he launched another defence of the national senior middleweight title he won two years ago with a very impressive 19-8 victory over Hugh Joyce (St. Michael's, Athy).