Aodhan Byrne goes pro

Images courtesy Kilcullen Boxing Club.

This is Aodhan Byrne from Halverstown in Kilcullen, writes David O'Brien of Kilcullen Boxing Club. Son of Pat and Sinead, he began boxing 13 years ago at our club, winning multiple provincial and national titles, and representing his country on numerous occasions. 

Last Saturday night, the 23-year-old made his professional debut in his mother’s home county of Donegal, with a large crowd from the town supporting him, along with local sponsors, residents, and a strong community following, for which he showed a genuine appreciation. Aodhan’s dedication was rewarded with an emphatic 40-36 victory, showcasing his expert skills, over the much more experienced Polish boxer Marian Wesolowski on the Jason Quigley-promoted show in Finn Valley Centre in Ballybofey. 

He is a very intelligent and well-educated young man who will quickly become familiar with the business he has chosen. I want to raise awareness in Kilcullen so that his support and momentum will continue in future bouts. 

Thanks to all.

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Kilcullen boxer Jamie off to Bosnia

Photo: Kilcullen Boxing Club.

Young Kilcullen boxer Jamie Jacob is heading for the 2024 European School Championships in Bosnia as part of Team Ireland. He is competing in the 63kg class.

The event runs from 1-10 August, with 16 boys and 13 girls on the team.

Jamie, 13, won the National Junior Cadet title in June, clearing the way for selection for the Irish team in Bosnia.

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Healys First Stop sponsor Kilcullen boxer Aodhan Byrne

Healys First Stop Exhaust and Tyre Centre have sponsored Kilcullen Boxing Club's Aodhan Byrne for his upcoming international and future boxing expenses, writes Brian Byrne.

The boxer and the club have expressed their 'big thanks' to Tom Healy and his son John for the support and for always keeping updated on the Kilcullen club.

Aodhan, who recently won gold and belt at welterweight elite in the Porto Box Cup in Portugal, is pictured above with John and Tom at the company's premises in Naas.

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Looking Back: A Kilcullen Boxing Club tournament

The poster, Billy last year, and as Juvenile Champion in the 1950s.

A poster sent by William 'Billy' Schwer to the Diary recalls a tournament organised by Kilcullen Boxing Club back in 1961, writes Brian Byrne.

The tournament included participants from Kilcullen BC Billy himself, at that time with three Juvenile Irish champion belts, an English championship, and 1961 Boxer of the Year, along with Irish Senior Champion and Olympics 1960 representative Colm McCoy, and Seamus Aspell with Irish Youth Champion and Leinster Champion titles to his credit. The event held in Newbridge Town Hall also featured fighters from Consolata BC, Limerick BC, Corinthians BC and Arbour Hill BC, with many provincial, national and international titles between them.

There was a lot of boxing on the night, with five featured bouts and no less than nine supporting bouts on the card.

At that time Kilcullen BC trained in the loft behind The Hideout, but had no 'home' suitable for holding public tournaments in Kilcullen — though occasional fights had been held in Kilcullen Town Hall Cinema.

The ticket prices for the Newbridge event are interesting, and relatively expensive when compared to the average weekly wage of the time of £8.37.

Billy Schwer — he lives in Luton and goes by William today to differentiate himself from his son Billy, a world champion boxer himself — was home to Kilcullen this time last year, and the Diary had a great chat with him which can be heard in the podcast below. Other links are to articles, about Billy and about 'glory days' of Kilcullen Boxing Club.

LISTEN: Billy Schwer, Kilcullen Boxing Legend 

READ: A fighter returns to boyhood roots 

READ: Kilcullen boxing glory days 

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Kilcullen boxing had good weekend

Two Kilcullen boxers representing the Garda team, Eoin ONeill and Aodhán Byrne, were victors in a weekend of boxing at the National Stadium over the weekend, writes Brian Byrne.

The tournament included a Fire Department of New York (FDNY) team as well as contingents from the Kilcullen-based Garda team, Naas Unit 3, Drogheda's Holy Family, and clubs in Maynooth, Athy and Bunclody.

In other boxing news, Kilcullen members Peter McDonagh, James Mulhern and Patrick Nevin have been selected to represent Leinster IABA in Europe next month.

(Information and photos from Kilcullen Boxing Club Facebook.)

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Looking Back: Kilcullen Boxing Club

Another look back at the Kilcullen Boxing Club, the picture courtesy of Eamonn Lynch, this time probably around 1960 with the club's Olympian Colm McCoy up front and centre, writes Brian Byrne.

Behind him is my Dad, Jim Byrne Jr, club president for many years and then in his bow tie phase.

I don't have all the names to mind, but a lot of the young boxers' faces are familiar as today's adults. Also there, though, are club stalwarts Hugh Peacocke, Cyril Russel, Paddy Aspell and Paddy Bathe.

The photo caption is, Back: Christy Meaney, Mr McCoy, Jim Byrne, Pat Lynch, Tommy Orford; Middle: Hugh Peacocke, John McCoy, Colm McCoy, Capt Cyril Russel, Paddy Aspell, Paddy Bathe; Front: Tommy Howard, Art McCoy, Tony Aspell, Eamon Lynch, Christy Howard, Tommy Morris.

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Looking Back: Kilcullen Boxing Club 1953-1954

This one's from a long way back, showing the Kilcullen Boxing Club of 1953-1954 and a seriously good haul of silverware, writes Brian Byrne.

Courtesy of Eamonn Lynch, the photo shows those present (Back) T Aspell, P Wallace, S Aspell (Irish 5.5 stone Schoolboy Champion), T Wallace, J McKenna (Leinster Junior Champion), T Orford (Leinster Junior Champion), S ffrench, P Aspell, H Peackocke (Irish Representatives), C Meaney (Leinster Junior Champion), T Orford (Leinster Youth Champion), JJ Whelan (runner-up Leinster Junior Championship), C Aspell (Kildare Junior Champion), W Schwer; (Seated) T Berney, J Bracken (runner-up, Leinster Championship), JJ Byrne (President), Capt CJ Russel (Hon Trainer), J Berney (runner-up, Leinster Championship), P McKenna (Treasurer); and (In front) W Schwer (Irish 4.5 stone Schoolboy Champion) and M McCarton (runner-up, Kildare Championship).

The photo, by C Donnelly-Swift, was taken in my grandmother's garden with the former Old Boys School in the back.

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CPC student boxing in Latvia this weekend

Shane Lawlor, who has boxed for Kilcullen Boxing Club for the last four years, is flying to Latvia this weekend to fight for the Leinster Development Squad, writes Brian Byrne.

Shane, pictured above with Joe Orford and David O'Brien of Kilcullen BC, won the Leinster Championship in the 80 kilo division earlier this year. 

He is a Fifth Year student in CPC.

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Two Kilcullen Boxing Club fighters into the Nationals

Shane Lawlor above with Joe Orford and David O'Brien, and (right) Davie Nevin. Pics: Kilcullen Boxing Club.

CPC student and young Kilcullen boxer Shane Lawlor is Leinster Champion in the 80 kilo division after what is described as a 'gutsy performance' yesterday in the province championships.

Along with 14-year Davie Nevin, who earlier won his own Leinster title in the 48 kilo division, the 16-year-old TY student will go forward to compete in the National Championships in two weeks' time.

Shane lost his first round against a strong Mullingar opponent yesterday but fought hard to win the other two rounds.

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Kilcullen boxers score in Michael Andrews Championships

Pics from KBC Facebook.

Kilcullen Boxing Club achieved four titles at the Michael Andrews Championships in Dublin in recent days.

They included 14-year-old Davy Nevin at 48 kilos, who won a stoppage victory in the third round of his final.

Shane Lawlor in Junior 2 (80 kilos) also forced a stoppage win against an opponent from Lucan.

The competition takes in all Leinster boxers including all Dublin clubs, with fighters from ages 11-16. Kilcullen Boxing Club had one of the largest entries with 14 boxers.  

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Looking Back: Serious Kilcullen boxing in 1967

A little piece of Kilcullen boxing history here, courtesy of Michael Lambe.

It's an image from the Programme of a Monster Boxing Tournament held on Saturday November 4th 1967, organised by the Irish Ropes Social Club Boxing Section.

'Featuring Irish and English Representatives of International Fame', members of Kilcullen Boxing Club competed in no less than eight of the 16 bouts on the programme.

They were (Bantam Weight) C Ennis, J Cullen and J Mitchell; (Feather) A O'Brien; (Light Middle) J Lanigan; (Middle) D O'Brien; (Heavy) M Collins. E Hanley was down to compete in the Schoolboys 7st.

Other clubs represented were Arbour Hill, Glasnevin, Liverpool, British Railways, Port of Dublin, Crumlin, Transport, and Liverpool Scottish. The schoolboy clubs competing included Athy and Irish Ropes.

The MC was Noel Andrews, one of the great Irish boxing commentators.

This ought to generate a little conversation ... 

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Boxing Club to resume training

Kilcullen Boxing Club will be opening its doors on Thursday 17 September for the first training session of the new boxing year.

David O'Brien says that with 'some clarity' given by the IBA last weekend, training with contact and sparring can resume.

However, numbers will be halved compared to earlier in the year due to them having to be in proportion to the coaches and assistants, but David says this is only 'a short term' restriction.

"Underage boxers will have to wait, and there will be no new members until further notice," he posted today on the Club's Facebook page. "The first boxers to start next week will be the boxers eligible for the provisional and national championships in November."

The parents of those members will be contacted by the Club, and David is hopeful that with an easing of pod restrictions, all existing and new members will hopefully be back sooner than expected.


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Looking Back: Kilcullen Boxing Club

Now here's a really nice one, sent in by Cormac Aspell on behalf of parents Marie and Tony. It's Kilcullen Boxing Club and includes their international and Olympic boxer Colm McCoy in the middle.

My own Dad is there as club chairman, in his bow tie period. There's also Hugh Peacocke with a mischievous head, trainer Capt Cyril Russel, Pat Lynch, Paddy Bathe, Paddy Aspell, Tommy and Christy Howard, and Tony Aspell himself on bottom row, third in from the left.

Probably around 1958. Anyone want to fill out the caption?

Update caption from Christy Howard - Front: Tommy Howard, Art McCoy, Tony Aspell, Eamon Lynch, Christy Howard, Tommy Morris; Second row: Hugh Peacocke, John McCoy, Colm McCoy, Captain Cyril Russell (trainer), Paddy Aspell, Paddy Bathe; Back row: Christy Meaney, Mr McCoy, Jim Byrne Jr, Pat Lynch and Tommy Orford.

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Boxing Club closes in line with advice

Kilcullen Boxing Club has closed until 29 March following the official announcements this morning from the government related to precautions against Covid-19.

The Club's David O'Brien says updates will be posted, and in the meantime club members should maintain their fitness, and especially eat healthily.

He also noted that the Leinster and National Championships have been postponed until further notice

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