Personal satisfaction propels O’Neill

Irish boxing has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and more, medals galore won at European, World and Olympic level.

One of those who has already qualified for London 2012 is Kilkenny man Darren O’Neill.

At the recent National Elite finals, held in the National Stadium last Friday night, Darren was crowned middleweight champion for the fourth year in a row. Satisfying, yes, but not as satisfying as it might have been.

It was a bloodless victory, his opponent Conor Coyle from Derry nursing an injured hand and forced to withdraw.

“Ah, it’s a disappointment. It’s great to have another title, four-in-a-row, but it’s a full stadium out there, a huge crowd, and I had a bus-load of people coming up from home tonight to watch it. It would have been nice to perform in this atmosphere, and on live television too.

“But I’ve had my own disappointments as well over the years, lost a close decision a few years ago, broke my hand another year when I was in the best condition of my career — I’m not going to dwell too much on it, just take the win and move on. Over the last two weeks I’ve put in two good performances to get to the final, I feel I deserve the title anyway so I’m happy enough.”

A proud son of Kilkenny, Darren was on the cusp of an inter-county hurling career before boxing took over. Born in September 1985 and a contemporary of such as Michael Fennelly, Cha Fitzpatrick, Richie Power, John Tennyson, John Dalton and Donnacha Cody, had he shown the same dedication as he has since shown in boxing the Paulmore native could well now have a pocketful of All-Ireland senior hurling medals.

Regrets? A few, yes, but a European Union gold (2009), all-European elite silver (2010), qualification for this year’s Olympics in London, to go with all those Irish titles — not bad compensation!

“I do miss the hurling at times,” Darren admits. “This can be a very lonely game — you see the boys in the local club at home off having the craic together during the summer and you wish you could be with them. There was a stage a few years back when I had a choice to make, a chance to go to the European Juniors or maybe to play with Kilkenny — I was trying to break on to the minor team.

“It came to the U21s, I was starting in challenge matches, going well, but then the European Seniors came up — you have a chance of representing your country or of playing for your county. It was tempting; hurling is huge in Kilkenny, whereas the rewards in boxing are more personal but against that you’re on a world stage as opposed to the national stage.

“You look at Mick Dowling — he’s still a huge figure in Kilkenny sport and for a long time no-one came near him. I’m not as well-known in Kilkenny as some but my name is starting to get out there now.”

There are some who look at inter-county hurling now, the demands on players, and seldom has that been as topical as this week with the shock retirement of Tipperary’s Lar Corbett, hurler-of-the-year only a year ago. !

There is no comparison between the two sports, however, says Darren, either in competition or out.

“There is no way now I could work and train — I’ve had to take a break from teaching, the schedule is too heavy between now and the Olympics.

“I’ll train at least twice a day five or six times a week. It’s high-intensity, flat-out rather than going on for hours, and you need time to recover afterwards.

“In the ring then, it’s completely different to being on the field. If you don’t perform in the ring that’s it, you’re gone, beaten; if you don’t perform on the hurling field you have 14 others who can back you up, take up the slack.

“It’s a completely different sport, a different mentality required — you’re going into a war really and it’s been part of life since the beginning of time, survival of the fittest. There’s no hiding-place, no-one to blame — I suppose that’s what gives me the buzz, really.”