Kilkenny boxers deliver 'remarkable' few weeks in the ring
The Kilkenny based boxing club has had no shortage of success in recent weeks
Marble City Boxing Club have enjoyed a remarkable few weeks in competition, culminating in outstanding performances at the National Juvenile Championships in Dublin.
The club was proudly represented by three young boxers competing for national honours: John Hawe, Luke McKenna, and Hailey Hawe.
Fresh off claiming his first Leinster title in Kilkenny just three weeks prior, John Hawe entered the championships in excellent form. He began his campaign with an impressive unanimous 5-0 victory over the reigning Ulster champion in the quarter-finals.
Building on that momentum, John followed up with a strong win over a former national champion from Antrim in the semi-final, securing his place in his first ever National final. In a closely contested final against the Connacht champion and defending national titleholder, John produced a determined performance, but narrowly missed out as the decision went his opponent’s way.
Luke McKenna returned to the National Stadium to defend the Boy 3 59kg title he captured 12 months ago. Competing in a highly competitive division, Luke made an immediate statement by defeating the Connacht champion with a first-round knockout inside 60 seconds.
He followed this with a composed 5-0 semi-final victory over the Munster champion to book his place in the final. There, he faced a familiar opponent from the recent Leinster final. All Ireland finals tend to be a place where Kilkenny men rise to the occasion and this is exactly what McKenna did here, Delivering a superb performance, Luke controlled all three rounds, to secure a 4-1 victory and claim back-to-back National titles for Marble City.
Hailey Hawe also entered the championships aiming to retain her national crown. Drawn against the only opponent to have beaten her previously, Hailey showed tremendous resilience and tactical discipline in the semi-final.
Despite trailing after the opening round, she executed a well-rehearsed game plan to take control of the contest, delivering a dominant second round and a decisive final round to secure a 4-1 victory and progress to the final. In the decider, Hailey produced a commanding performance against the Dublin champion, applying relentless pressure throughout all three rounds to secure a unanimous 5-0 win and retain her title, becoming a two-time National Champion.
The final day of competition saw all three Marble City boxers still in contention, a testament to the club’s strength and depth at juvenile level. With two National champions crowned and one silver medallist, it marked an exceptional achievement for the Kilkenny club.
The success did not stop there for Luke McKenna. His national title win earned him a place in a box-off against the reigning Boy 2 59kg champion for selection to the Irish team for the upcoming Four Nations tournament in Scotland this June. Luke delivered another outstanding performance, winning all three rounds convincingly to secure a unanimous 5-0 decision and his place on the Irish High Performance team.
He now proudly earns his first Ireland vest, becoming the latest Marble City boxer to represent the country at international level, Cian Stapleton being the clubs most recent schoolboy, who competed at the European Schoolboy Championships in Erzurum, Turkey in 2023.