Rival clubs boxing clever

Normally they’d slug it out on a pitch, but two GAA clubs are to don boxing gloves in a head-to-head which doesn’t involve just the fellas but aspiring Katie Taylors.

In what is believed to be the first match-up of its kind in Co Cork, players from the rival parishes of Meelin and Newmarket are to square up to each other in the ring on Friday, Feb 22.

A total of 16 bouts are planned to take place at Safari’s Nite Club in Newmarket.

Already there’s a lot of peripheral betting on which parish will emerge victorious, be it All-Ireland 2011 junior hurling winners Meelin or Newmarket, which won a county intermediate title the same year.

Twelve male players from each club will oppose each other in three 1.5-minute rounds.

In addition, three ladies fights are planned and another bout will involve two gardaí stationed in nearby Kanturk.

“We’re hoping to raise about €10,000 for each club from what we believe is the first competition of its type between GAA clubs in Co Cork,” said Meelin GAA spokesman Timmy Brosnan.

Each fighter will have a sponsor on the night and there will be individual sponsors for each round. The entry fee will be €20, and that includes admission to a disco in the night club afterwards.

The clubs are taking it so seriously that players have been undergoing gruelling training sessions for the past two months to ensure they’re fighting fit for the big occasion.

The idea is to raise much needed money for their respective clubs.

“It’s estimated that it costs around €1,000 each week to keep a country club going,” said Timmy.

He said there was fierce but friendly rivalry between the two clubs and he hoped that would be the case when the fighters line out for what will effectively be a three-and-a-half hour session of boxing which gets under way that night at 8pm.