Boxing: Senior Championships round-up

John Joe Joyce beat Roy Sheahan 8-2 in an all St Michael's Athy welterweight semi final at the Irish Daily Star sponsored Elite National Championships at the National Stadium.

The Beijing Olympian, nicknamed triple J, was 3-1 ahead at the bell for the end of the first and was 6-1 in front at the end of the second.

Joyce, officially ranked sixth in the world, paid tribute to Sheahan after his win.

He said: 'Roy is a world class boxer. We were sparring during the week and Roy must have won ever round. Tonight was just about who won on the night, it's all about on the night.'

Meanwhile, European Youth champ Jason Quigley had to come from behind to see off the challenge of European senior bronze medalist Eamon O'Kane in an all Ulster middleweight semi final,
while Tommy McCarthy will meet defending champion Ken Egan in a repeat of the 2009 light heavyweight final.

Senior debutant Quigley was 1-0 in arrears inside the opening minute of the first, but upped the tempo in the second to lead 6-1. A further four points in the third sealed an impressive victory for the classy 18 year old Finn Valley club-man.

McCarthy, a bronze medal winner at the 2008 World Youth Championships, beat Michael Ward 6-3 in his third bout at Irish and Ulster senior level since being out for nine months with a hand injury.

Former champ Conor Ahern has to use his vast experience to see off the challenge of Belfast ace Michael Conlon in a top class flyweight duel. Trailing 5-2 at the end of the second round the Dubliner produced a blistering final frame to win by a three point margin.

Immaculata featherweight James Fryers laid the foundations for his victory over Sean Kilroy in the first round, which he won 3-0. He was still leading 3-0 going into the third after neither boxer made an impression on the computer in the second.

Kilroy pulled one back early in the third, but Fryers added another two points to his tally to record a well deserved win. The lightweight duel between EU champ David Oliver Joyce and 2008 European bronze medalist Ross Hickey went the way of the St Michael's Athy man.

Hickey, boxing comfortably behind his right jab, opened up a 2-0 lead in the first, but Joyce leveled it at 2-2 and was 7-3 up at the end of the second after repeatedly stepping inside Hickey's reach to blast home sharp combinations to the head and body. Joyce, who claimed his EU gold at featherweight, registered the only three points of the final round.

Joyce, a winner of four senior titles in the past, will now meet his St Michael's Athy team-mate and defending champion Eric Donovan - who has also won four Irish senior titles - in next weekend's 60Kg final.

Meantime, Stephen Donnelly moved to within one bout of adding an Irish senior belt to his recently acquired Ulster senior title courtesy of an 8-6 win over Sonny Upton in an all Antrim light welterweight decider.

However, the All Saints man, who was 4-2 ahead in the second, was 6-5 down early in the third before he pulled away in the final 60 seconds. Kelly Harrington had her hand raised in victory from
the only Elite female meeting of the night, a 10-6 decision setting up a 69Kg final with Intermediate champ Jessica Lyons.

Alan Reynolds, a five time Irish senior champion in the past, beat Drimnagh heavyweight Jimmy Sweeney and Tommy Sheehan record the St Michael's Athy clubs third win of the night at the expense of Gareth Smith.