Galway’s boxing heroes set sights on reaching the next Olympics

GALWAY’S four amateur boxers of the moment have now set their sights on Olympic qualification after their momentous heroics at the National Stadium last weekend.

Kieran Molloy (Oughterard BC), Gabriel Dossen (Olympic BC), Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles) and Adam Hession (Monivea BC) made it an historic night for Galway amateur boxing when all four secured Irish senior elite titles on a remarkable Saturday in Dublin.

“In the 108-years history of the IABA (Irish Amateur Boxing Association) championships, up until Saturday night, only seven elite titles were brought back to Galway.

“On Saturday, four elite titles went to Galway which just shows you how strong boxing is in Galway at present,” Stephen Molloy, father and coach to Kieran Molloy, told Tribune Sport.

Molloy (20) was involved in the most entertaining bout of a thrilling evening, and the Southpaw became the first Galway boxer ever to win back-to-back elite titles.

Molloy’s opponent, Paddy Donovan from Limerick, talked a good talk in the build up to the fight – but it was the Oughterard man who let his boxing do the talking in the ring, where he won the welterweight division on a unanimous decision.

“There was a lot of hype about it before the fight. We didn’t buy into the hype. We were confident. We’d been boxing against the best in the world, all over the world. Kieran won a world medal at 14. Since he was 12 or 13, he’s been bringing back medals. He was the reigning champion going into it, so, despite the hype, we felt he would have been favourite,” said Stephen Molloy.

Afterwards, Donovan asserted he had won the fight, a claim that was backed up by fellow Limerick fighter, Andy Lee, in the TG4 television commentary. But the judges had no such doubts, and unanimously favoured Molloy.

“All five judges gave it to Kieran. These are the best judges in the country. We didn’t even think it was close. Only the following day I watched the fight on TV, and I couldn’t believe it, were they watching the same fight?” said Stephen Molloy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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