Horrigan trio all claim gold at Westmeath Open

LUCAN Boxing Club celebrated their latest family of rising stars this week as Conor, Nathan and Kaithlin Horrigan all won gold at the Westmeath and Longford Open championships.
And club coach Karl Brabazon says that it represents a significant stepping stone for the youngsters on their rise through the ranks since joining the club, winning out in their respective competitions.
Conor, 15, stopped his opponent in his final while Nathan, 14, won all three rounds of his decider. The 11-year-old added to the clean sweep for the family with a third gold.
“This was the first time we had them entering in events and it’s a fantastic base,” he told GazetteSport.
“This is the first title and will kick-start their season as they build up to the Dublin championships in February at the Ringside at the back of the National Stadium.
“From there, depending on the category and how many fights they get, they can then try and aim at an All-Ireland.”
The club is currently working with a new wave of boxers who are finding their feet in the sport with up to 40 in the youth categories regularly taking part in club exhibitions, building up experience.
The youngest group under Brabazon’s tutelage is currently aged between five and nine-years-old in the Lucan academy which runs every Saturday morning, right the way up until New Year’s Eve when each boxer will receive a set of boxing gloves.
With this group, Brabazon explains that it is all about “engagement” and “the basics”, teaching the boxers through a mixture of games and technical sessions.
As for his own aspirations in the ring, the Lucan man says he has had a couple of offers to return to professional bouts for the first time since 2013.
It is something he says he is open to but getting the balance right between putting in the work and training required, keeping the club going and looking after his young family means is a tricky one.
“There are a couple of new promotions like Westside in Tallaght and it is something I am considering but I have to weigh up if it is something that I can commit to.”