Death of Cork legend Leahy

MICK LEAHY, who died in Coventry on Wednesday, had the distinction of beating the five weight world champion, Sugar Ray Robinson, during an illustrious boxing career. He was 74 years of age.

The Corkman, who boxed out of the old Glen club at Spring Lane as an amateur, became a legend after he turned professional in England in 1956. He had the young Cassius Clay at the ringside when he stripped George Aldridge of the British middleweight title inside a round in 1963. After putting Aldridge on the floor twice referee, Ike Powell, stopped the fight. It was in Paisley he won a points decision over Sugar Ray Robinson but one of his greatest displays was against the three time Olympic champion Laszlo Papp for the European title in Vienna in 1964. He lost, but the Hungarian government would not allow Papp to defend the title after that. After drawing with Wally Swift a couple of years earlier, he would eventually lose his British title to his arch rival.

A modest man, he had 46 wins, seven draws and 19 losses over a nine-year professional career. While himself and his cousin Eddie Noonan boxed in all the local tournaments during his amateur career, his only professional fight in Cork was at the Parochial Hall in 1961 when he defeated Bob Cofi from Ghana.

Suffering from Alzheimer’s, he was unable to come home to Cork last year when newly crowned world champion, Bernard Dunne, unveiled a plaque in his honour at Bishop Lucey Park. He was represented by his sons, Mark and Stephen, at the ceremony.

There is another plaque there to Jack McAuliffe, one of the greatest boxers the world has known, who was born close-by. His cousin Maura, who would eventually marry his close friend Eddie Noonan, said he always stayed at the family home on St. Brendan’s Road when he returned home.

“We always walked along Spring Lane when he would visit us,” Eddie recalled.

“For such an outstanding boxer he was such a gentle person.”

He is survived by his wife, Teresa, and five children, grand children and great grand children in England as well as other relatives and his many friends among the boxing fraternity in Cork.