MARK MCCOLE and Michael Gallagher emerged victorious from the all-Donegal bouts at the Ulster Intermediate Championship finals at the Dockworkers Club in Belfast on Friday night.
Austeja Auciute and Melanie Penrose also returned titles to Donegal clubs on a busy night of action.
Dungloe’s dogged McCole defeated Finn Valley’s Orin McDermott to win the weltweight title.
It represents a big win for McCole, who will surely have his eye on an elusive Irish title now. McCole had beaten Nathan Fox from Omagh in Wednesday’s semi-final while McDermott overcame Mauirce Little of Dungannon.
McDermott pushed McCole all the way and there were plenty inside the arena who thought the hand of the Finn Valley man would be hoisted, but it was McCole who got the unanimous decision.
McCole was also presented with the C. John Creaney Belt for the Best Boxer of the Championships (pictured above receiving his award from Eugene Duffy).
Ten-time Irish champion Gallagher, also from Finn Valley, defeated Letterkenny’s Michael McConigley in the heavyweight final. The hammer-handed Gallagher stopped McConigley in the third round of their contest.
Finn Valley’s Austeja Auciute, at light-welterweight, and Raphoe’s Melanie Penrose, at welterweight, had walkover wins in their divisions.
There was disappointment for Dennis Lafferty, Paul Darby and Davit Tsotsoria in their finals.
Ballindrait featherweight Lafferty, boxing out of Raphoe ABC, lost to Eamonn McNally of St Michael’s, while Darby was beaten 3-0 by Clonard’s Gerard French at light-middleweight and at cruiserweight Tsotsoria lost out 3-0 against Immaculata’s Tony Campbell.
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