Barrett faces tough final test

DAVID BARRETT (Rylane) bids to emulate older brother Seanie by winning the light welterweight title at the Irish intermediate boxing championship finals at the National Stadium tonight.

Barrett faces a huge challenge against Patrick Ward from Galway in the title decider.

He is one of four Cork boxers in action tonight . Paul Duncliffe from Sunnyside will be fancied to add the featherweight title to the U21 title he won earlier in the year when he meets John Hand (Dunboyne) while John and Martin Keenan are in the light heavyweight and lightweight finals and Tom McGrath contests the welterweight decider against Francis Foley.

A student at University of Limerick, he stands 6’4” and one would have to go back to the 1984 Olympic champion, Mark “Beanstalk” Breland, to find a welterweight of such stature.

The programme for tonight is: Light Flyweight, Gary McDonagh (Kilcullen) v Steven Donnelly (All Saints); Flyweight, Gavin Keating (St. Saviours) v Shane Cox (Gorey); Bantamweight, Colin Moynihan (St. Francis) v Sean Kilroy (Holy Family Drogheda); Featherweight, Paul Duncliffe (Sunnyside) v John Hand (Dunboyne); Lightweight, Thomas Finnegan (Golden Cobra) v John Keenan (Glen); Light Welter, David Barrett (Rylane) v Patrick Ward (Galway); Welterweight, Tom McGrath (St. Colman’s) v Francis Foley (St. Michael’s, Athy); Middleweight, Sean Shevlin (Dealgan) v Noel Higgins (Loughglynn); Light Heavy, Michael Mullaney (Claremorris) v Martin Keenan (Glen); Heavyweight, Michael Sweeney (All Stars, Mayo) v Peter Lee (Oughterard); Super Heavy, Simon Reilly (Drimnagh) v Anthony Crampton (St. Broughans).