Barrett returns for one-off appearance

CORK boxing legend Seanie Barrett returns to action tomorrow night at the Riverside Park Hotel in Macroom (8pm).

However, the former national champion insists this a one-off appearance for a charity show organised by club Rylane ABC, in aid of Marymount Hospice.

Barrett was an amateur sensation. In 2000, he defeated Paul McCloskey to retain his light welterweight title in a thriller at the national senior championships. A year earlier he ended Francis Barrett’s dream of making it to a second Olympics when he outpointed him in a delayed national final.

Barrett recalled: “I have it with them and I’m still in touch with my friends from that era — Bernard Dunne, Billy Walsh, Paul McCloskey — who are boxing as pros. But I was never tempted to box as a professional.

“Ironically I boxed my last contest in Macroom six years ago. That night I was giving weight away to David Conlon. He caught me with a big shot in the opening seconds of the contest and broke my nose in three places.”

Fitness wouldn’t be a factor for the Millstreet electrician who explained: “Since I retired I have run eight marathons and, at the moment, I am preparing for the Paris Marathon. I have run Dublin a few times, New York and London and I do them all for charity.”

Tomorrow night will be a family affair for Barrett as son, Eric, will box Finin Phelan from Macroom in one of two exhibition contests on the bill. “It will great to have both of us on the same DVD,” said Barrett.

His opponent on an action-packed bill will be Crumlin welterweight, Andy O’Neill, while his younger brother, David will meet another Crumlin man, Philip Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe, whose father of the same name won two European bronze medals, was involved in last weekend’s box-offs for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament.

After the national senior championships, Tom Murray (Rylane) remained in training specifically for this tournament and he meets Crumlin light heavyweight Robert Burke while Cathal Barry (Dungarvan) and Wexford’s Michael Kennedy clash in the heavyweight.

Sean Lane, grandson of Ryane coach, Dan Lane, will make his ring debut in the second exhibition contest.

“The response has been overwhelming and it is a definite sell-out,” Dan Lane said. “We set ourselves a target of €10,000 but it appears as if we are going to exceed that.”