Oughterard Boxing Club is celebrating 50 years on the go

Date Published: {J}

OUGHTERARD Boxing Club was founded in 1962 by the late Johnny O’Connor, who saw boxing as a great means of keeping the local youth and GAA players fit over the winter months and the club grew from there.

The first known boxing tournament took place in 1965 on the grounds where the current Community Centre is situated. Martin Lee was the club’s first ever All-Ireland title winner in 1969 and went onto to win a second title in 1970. Martin was also chosen on an Irish International juvenile team which fought in England in 1969.

In 1970, Oughterard won the award for the best club in Connacht, winning six juvenile titles in total, including for the first time, four brothers, Martin, Raymond, Gerry and Richard Lee, capturing juvenile titles on the same day.

Johnny Lee went on to make it five brothers to win Connacht titles in the same year when he won at Junior level. Also working with Johnny O’Connor at this time were Roddy Joyce, Christy Butler, Frank Kyne, and Joe and Pat McGauley.

This was a great achievement for a club in existence for only eight years. Johnny O’Connor retired from the club in 1980 and Gerry Clancy took over the reigns. He was also heavily involved in the local GAA and won a county title in 1969.

In 1983, the club again had success when Alan O’Connor brought home an All-Ireland title. Gerry Clancy was to have only one All-Ireland title as coach due to his untimely death in 1986. With Gerry at the time were Johnny Folan, Paddy Clancy, Pat O’Connor and Paddy Geoghan, Raymond Lee, along with his brother Martin, Tony McQuinn, Paddy Geoghan and Jimmy Kelly then took over the running of the club. This was the beginning of what can only be called the Oughterard golden era. In 1994, Marvin Lee won his first All-Ireland and went on to take four more titles.

In 1996, Oughterard had two All-Ireland champions with Rory McGauley and Marvin Lee winning. The following year Thomas Lee won the first of his nine All Ireland titles. This is the most titles ever won by a boxer who qualified from the Connacht championships. Also in this period, Oughterard won best club in Connacht in 1995,1996 and ’98 with 12 titles being their best achievement.

Thomas and Marvin were both well established members of the Ireland international set up for several years and competed for European titles. In 2000, Martin Healy and Peter Lee, who both represented Ireland at international level, won All-Ireland titles with Peter going on to capture two more. Marvin, Thomas and Peter also won Galway County Sports Stars awards.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.