Kieran Molloy moving past Olympic heartbreak: 'At least one of us got to fulfil our dream'

Kieran Molloy (Oughterard, Galway) faces Luke Maguire (Esker, Dublin) in the 71kg decider at the National Championship finals.

Kieran Molloy could be forgiven for letting his mind wander to what might have been.

His in-ring trajectory had always appeared trained on Tokyo 2020, the two-time Irish senior champion’s credentials touted from some way out.

“I got called up to the elite team for sparring when I was 15”, recalls the Galway native, now aged 22.

“I remember talking to Zaur [Antia, Ireland Head Coach] then and he said that he could see talent in me.

“Since then I was basically up in Dublin full-time as a youth, and then eventually into the main training programme at about 17. It was just before that time that I said to myself: ‘look, this is what I want to do’. I saw myself then — and I still see myself now — being a boxer for as long as possible. I started at around five years of age, my brothers were both going down to the boxing club in Oughterard. I used to go and watch them and eventually started joining in. By the time I was about seven or eight, I suppose people just sort of started telling me I was good, that I should stick at it.”

A slew of stellar underage success soon segued into senior honours, Molloy becoming the first Galway boxer to win multiple National Elite titles.

February 2019’s welterweight triumph remains among the best bouts boxed on these islands in recent memory, Molloy prevailing over Paddy Donovan.

“The two of us would have been sparring the odd time in the High Performance, and it was always that one spar where everybody in the building would stop what they were doing to watch.

“It was always seen as a kind of a 50-50 thing. But in my eyes, I didn’t know why people saw it as 50-50, I thought I was a level above him, to be honest. And going into finals, I was very confident I was going to beat him.

“I think there was a bit of hype about Donovan that I didn’t understand. I suppose in the lead-up to the fight, I was getting… I wouldn’t say pissed off, but I just didn’t understand why people had such a hype about him. So I really wanted to put a stop to all that, and show everyone I was still the number one lad to beat at the time.”

Donovan departed for the professional ranks soon after, Molloy’s 69kg ascendency atop the Irish amateur scene seemingly beyond reproach. The meteoric ascent of Aidan Walsh put paid to those best laid plans, however.

The Monkstown tyro scaled the division in quickfire fashion, his victory over Molloy the following November weaving Walsh into pole position for Tokyo qualification. He never looked back.

“I was very disappointed at the time that I didn’t get an opportunity to go for a qualifier,” reflects Molloy on his missed Olympic opportunity. “That was the hard part. But I wouldn’t wish anything less for Aidan.

At least one of us got to fulfil our dream.

"Just because I didn’t qualify I wasn’t going around saying: ‘I hope he loses.’ I’m not that sort of lad. But it was a hard pill to swallow at the time. But that is sport. It can either make you or break you. And you’ve just got to move on, and try harder again.

“I think every boxer — when they first start out — watches the Olympics, sees people representing their country and bringing home medals. I suppose that is every kid’s dream. But unfortunately, that hasn’t happened for me yet.

“In the long run, I’ve always liked the thought of being a professional world champion as well, fighting in front of big crowds. Hopefully, that’s all in the future.”

Fresh from captaining Ireland’s U22 selection at the European Championships over the summer, Molloy will on Saturday be seeking to reign on Irish soil once more, this time at 71kg. Esker’s Luke Maguire presents competitive and familiar opposition in the decider, Molloy having bested the Dubliner in 2019’s semi-final.

“We’re both completely different styles”, says Molloy of the match-up. “It’s going to make for an interesting fight and I’m really looking forward to it now.”