Holohan crowned National Senior Cadet champion while Cahill takes silver

PORTLAOISE Boxing Club was celebrating National Senior Cadet Championship success in the National Stadium on Friday night after Lorcan Holohan completed his march to the 63kg title following a unanimous 5-0 victory over Phoenix Kenny of Baldoyle in the decider.

The night also saw Holohan’s clubmate, Jack Cahill turn in a gutsy performance against the older and much decorated Lee Largey Snodden of Immaculata BC in the 52kg final, the Portlaoise lad being ultimately undone 4-1 on the night.

But, given that Cahill was on the younger side of his Senior Cadet line-up, he will have the chance to go again in this competition next season and emulate the achievement of Holohan, who, in beating Kenny, made it five straight unanimous decision wins in his respective championship campaign.

Having already surmounted the challenge of Kai Dynes of Immaculata, Oakleaf’s Lucas McIvor, Darren Joyce of Sacred Heart and Patrick Myers of Spartacus BC en route to the final, Holohan was determined to take the last remaining step on the road to All-Ireland glory.

And he quickly set about stamping his mark authority on his bout against Kenny, as Portlaoise head coach, Pat Ryan explained to the Laois Nationalist: “After half a minute, Lorcan threw and overhead right hand to the head and it connected absolutely on the button.

“When that landed, things changed. It was then that Lorcan decided that he was going to dictate and dominate the contest. His feinting, his teasing and his decision making on what combinations to use was superb.

“I don't think anybody in the Stadium on the night realised what a talent this young man is, because he would never have been seen.

“Young Kenny is an exceptional lad. He’s won three or four All-Irelands, and that's the level of opposition that Lorcan was facing, but they wouldn't have known a lot about Lorcan, because he’s really just arrived.

“Lorcan has just grown so much in the last 12 months from having been sent to different countries, different training camps. We would have also had Polish boxers coming here to Portlaoise, along with Latvians, Lithuanians, Scots and Welsh, all in training camps in the club.

“On top of that, you have to look at the stable that Lorcan’s in. He has Louis Griffin, Under 18 champion, he has Neddy Harty, second-year Youth champion, Johnny Harty four-times national champion and Kevin Pukuta.

“They're all Lorcan’s stable boxers and they're his training partners as he was preparing for this. I don’t think there's a club in the country that could boast that level of talent. It's just phenomenal, and we’re really excited for Lorcan’s future, and the future of all those boys,” he said.

Landing the National title on Friday means Holohan is very much in the reckoning for a place in the Ireland squad that will be travelling to the European Senior Cadet Championships later in the year, and Ryan is confident he can lock down that berth.

“If Lorcan keeps attending to the good habits as he does and keeps developing, there's no reason why he won't be selected,” insisted Ryan.

“There were 20 boxers in his category in the National Senior Cadet Championships and he had five super wins to bring home that title,” he said.

Jack Cahill is another of the many Portlaoise competitors whom Ryan believes has a bright future ahead, the Portlaoise coach backing the 52kg boxer to come back stronger after his 4-1 split decision loss to Snodden in Friday’s title fight.

The young Portlaoise boxer had already turned a few heads, having surmounted the challenge of Jake Page from Clonard in the last eight of the competition before seeing off Holy Family’s Paddy Nevin in the penultimate rounds.

And while multi-All-Ireland champion, Snodden would prove a bridge too far, Cahill certainly put it up to the Immaculata fighter, in a performance that augurs well for his potential return to the National Senior Cadet Championship stage next season.

“You have to take into account that Jack is 14 and the youngest member of this category, and his opponent is seven-times national champion,” Ryan pointed out.

“But if you were looking at the two boxers in the ring on Friday night, you wouldn't really have known who was going to win.

“Jack was seriously competitive. He’s as calm a lad as you could ever find. Nothing fazes him. There's no cockiness, there's no showboating. He just gets in and gets on with the job.

“When young Snodden put the push on Jack, Jack was having none of it. He just needed another one or two punches in the combination to be accurate and, I feel, that would have decided the contest.

“But Snodden is a very slick lad. He’s a switcher. He can box orthodox and southpaw, but Jack handled it superbly. You couldn't fault his performance. He’s eligible to go again next year and he'll be at the top end of it then.

“Both Jack and Lorcan have a great attitude and great parents behind them. And really his has been a concerted effort from all coaches, officials and club members in Portlaoise Boxing Club,” he stressed.

With a National Senior Cadet title and silver medal now in the bag, Portlaoise will be turning their attention to this week’s National Elite competition in Belfast where they will be represented by Rachel Lawless (51kg), Cody O’Reilly (60kg), Johnny Harty (65kg) and Tiffany O’Reilly (70kg).