Cavan Boxing Club back with a bang

Cavan Boxing Club is back, and is celebrating its return with an eagerly anticipated showcase in Ballinagh Community Centre this weekend.

After a dormant period, the club has hit the re-set button and re-emerged late last year in a new home in Ballinagh.

For Sunday's event in Ballinagh Community Centre, Cavan Boxing Club has partnered with Virginia Boxing Club. Between the two clubs, they will bring a 'Cavan Select' team to face fighters representing clubs from Antrim, Galway and Navan.

“We're going to try to make it an event,” enthuses trainer Stephen Flynn, “a bit of music, the whole lot, make it feel like a big event for the lads, to put on a real good exhibition like you would a pro-show.”

Sunday's event is a milestone in the rejuvenation of the storied club that's been such a source of pride for the county. Under the guidance of Brian McKeown the club produced world class talents such as John Joe Nevin, Andy Murray and Ceire Smith who represented both their club and country at major international tournaments. Those glory days seem a long way from here, but the work to bring them back has to start somewhere.

From the outside it had looked as if the club had just petered out, but a few club stalwarts had kept it “running on fumes”.

This time last year they went in search of a new training hub, and in the depths of winter that search brought them to a familiar venue: Ballinagh's old O'Rahilly Hall, which had served as the club's home over a decade ago. Located on the Crossdoney Road on the edge of town, the frills-free setting houses two boxing rings, leaving just enough rooms to hang a dozen or so punch bags around the perimeter.

Trainer William Lee points to places where they patched up the floor timbers, and the blow heater in the corner to take the nip out of the winter nights. It all adds to the back to basics vibe of the club.

“It would be great to see it back in Cavan Town, in a lovely warm facility, but we never ever, since I was a gasun, ever had proper facilities,” said William over the rhythmic sound of quick combinations being thrown in the ring.

“We couldn't expect too much,” says Stephen of the club's early ambitions, “just keeping the doors open regularly, having the sessions filled having the coaches to coach the boxers coming through the door. We spent a good bit of time educating new coaches, Daddies and everything, to give a hand – because you need them. That was the big goal this year.”

“A lot of ex-boxers came back in and stood up and it was great to see them back in the club, because we all would have been coached by Brian at some stage, so we all know how Cavan Boxing Club operates and how to coach and the standards needed.”

Brian McKeown's lasting legacy is admired by club members and he remains involved “in a big way”.

“He's still the main man in this club,” assures William. “He'll come in here an odd night and get into that ring and train young boxers the same way he did all his life.”

Stephen has been a member since 2009, and fondly recalls getting to national finals, a couple of Ulsters.

“We travelled the world with Brian,” the Cavan town man says. “We were all over America, Canada, Sweden – boxed cups everywhere. He kept us busy and he showed us, if you apply yourself and train hard, you can go abroad and see a bit of the world with it. It's a great thing, we'd love to be organisng trips, box cups abroad to bring some of these lads away as a reward and just to develop them a bit as well.”

Brian's know-how is needed as on a “good evening” there could be over 20 boxers training.

“We have a lot of young lads starting off now, building into it – getting into shape.”

Amongst those young talents are Stephen McDonagh who has claimed the Mid-Ulster and Ulster titles and reached an All Ireland semi-final. Meanwhile Kenia Prado won the Porto International Box Cup earlier this year.

“It's been really good,” reflects Stephen. “The hope is that success will breed success, and we get more people in.”

Living in Mullahoran, William is one of the few club members who is not currently living in Cavan Town, although he proudly declares he is “born and bred” in the county town. As such they aspire to return to Cavan Town at some stage in the future.

“We're Cavan Boxing Club really, our base is in the town, all bar a couple are from the town area, so that's where our base is. There's a lot of potential young lads who would love to box, but just can't get out to Ballinagh.

“To get back into Cavan Town is our aim, but look, we're just happy to have a premises to train in at the minute. That's the main goal, probably four or five years down the line is to link in with the Sports Partnership and the Council and Boxing Ireland and see if we can get a hub within the town area. ”

That's down the line, at the minute they are focussing on Sunday's event in Ballinagh Community Hall. Sunday's action starts at 3pm and will feature exhibition matches for eight newcomers who have never boxed competively before, ahead of their first outings in next month's Mid-Ulsters. There will also be fights and a couple of exhibitions featuring some “club legends”. Admission is €10 for adults payable on the door; while it's free for under 16s.