Punches were finally thrown in the ring at the National Stadium last night as a mooted box-off to decide Ireland’s super-heavyweight representative at next month’s European Championships resulted in a split-decision victory for Dean Gardiner.

Earlier this week, a box-off to decide Ireland’s super-heavyweight representative for next month’s European Championships was mooted to take place this evening. Instead of that fight taking centre stage, Irish boxing has been hit by yet another crisis — one which could last a far longer distance than the three rounds originally expected to be contested between Martin Keenan and Dean Gardiner at the National Stadium.

Zaur Antia will guide Ireland’s boxers through to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro later this year after confirmation from Sport Ireland chief executive John Treacy that the bid to find a permanent successor to Billy Walsh will not kick into gear until after the Games.

“We have 20 coaches who can do Billy’s job.” Of all the thousands of words spoken yesterday during a four-hour session of the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communication — called to examine the story behind Billy Walsh’s loss to Irish amateur boxing — those nine stood out.

Former Ireland boxing head coach Billy Walsh has put his nightmare row with the sport’s chiefs behind him as he begins his “fairytale” new life in the US.

Six decades after a controversial World Amateur Road Race, Ryle Dwyer looks at a series of stunts at cycling events by militant Irish republicans