Touhey and Joyce get ready to rumble

THE finals of the national under-21 boxing championships provide some interesting pairings at the National Stadium tonight when some beaten finalists from the seniors will be involved.

Eamon Touhey, formerly boxing out of the Moate (Co. Westmeath) club and now with Portlaoise, lost to Eric Donovan (St Michael’s, Athy) in the senior finals.

Donovan, a gold medallist at the multi-nations tournaments in Armenia and Finland, has been named on the Irish team for the world championships in China.

Tonight Touhey will meet another boxer from the Athy club, John Joe Joyce, a member of a family that has been dominating Irish boxing in recent years and provided five of the six representatives at this year’s European junior championships.

Bantamweight Derek Thorpe from Ferns was another beaten finalist and he can put that experience behind him when he takes on John Cooley (St Joseph’s, Derry) tonight.

Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) was facing an enormous task against fellow Dubliner, Kenneth Egan, in the light heavyweight final and he will meet another interesting opponent tonight in Martin Keenan (Glen), Munster’s only representative on duty.

Pete Taylor (St Fergal’s) is brother of the European women’s title holder Katie and his father, Pete, is former national intermediate champion. Tonight he will be hoping to claim the gold medal in the welterweight final which pairs him with Keith Boyle (St Saviour’s Olympic Boxing Academy).

Tonight’s programme: Light Flyweight: Gary McDonagh (Kilcullen) v Brian Adams (Neilstown); Flyweight: Shane Cox (Gorey) Walk Over; Bantamweight: Derek Thorpe (St Aidan’s, Ferns) v John Cooley (St Joseph’s, Derry); Featherweight: Ross Hickey (Grangecon) v Ciaran Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin); Lightweight: John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s, Athy) v Eamon Touhey (Portlaoise); Light Welter: Thomas Dwyer (St Aidan’s, Ferns) v David Nevin (Cavan); Welterweight: Keith Boyle (St. Saviours OBA) v Pete Taylor (St Fergal’s, Bray); Middleweight: Brian Fitzpatrick (Ballina) v Noel Higgins (Loughlin); Light Heavy: Martin Keenan (Glen) v Darren O’Neill (Paulstown); Heavyweight: Philip Kearns (St Brigid’s, Dublin) v Peter Lee (Oughterard); Super Heavy: Michael O’Sullivan (Edenmore) v Simon Reilly (Drimnagh).