Six of the best get ready to battle it out
Workers today begin erecting a giant marquee to facilitate the boxing ring in Bandon, Co Cork.
Some of the boxers have never even stepped inside the ropes before but the six women and 24 men have all taken part in a tough training programme created by former Olympic boxer Cathal O’Grady for the colourful Battle of Bandon. The event kicks off on Friday at 8pm.
Boxing hopefuls who signed up for the programme have been in training for the past six weeks, learning everything from straight punches to the toughest lesson of all: “If you get hit, keep moving — it’s harder to hit a moving target,” warns All-Ireland boxing champ and Battle of Bandon coach Gerry Sheehan.
“The rounds are just 90 seconds each but they can feel like an eternity when you are in the ring and on the run from an aggressive opponent.”
There will be 15 fights and solicitors, carpenters, students, shop assistants and office workers will be taking part.
In Bandon, training takes place in a specially kitted-out boxing gym at a vacant premises at Bandon Retail Park under the watchful eyes of Sheehan and fellow Battle of Bandon coach, three-times national light welterweight champion Seanie Barrett from the Rylane club.
Most of the participants are novices, though a few like 20-year-old ‘Stinger’ Steph O’Gorman from Macroom — who has six years’ experience and two silver medals from the All-Ireland Boxing Championships behind her — are more advanced.
The participants have been taking it all very seriously says Sheehan, sticking rigorously to the training schedule. At the moment, they must do three 90-minute sessions a week.
“The girls are doing very well,” said Sheehan. “We have six of them and they’re all pretty good, while we have one or two big hitters in the Battle of Bandon male squad. There’s lots of excitement building up.”
The event is being organised by Bandon Rugby Club and aims to raise €30,000 to help buy floodlights for the club.
* www.battleofbandon.com. Tickets: 087 7615615, email info@battleofbandon.com
