Tipperary's Curtis Darcy will box for Ireland against Germany

A  talented young boxer from Ballynonty, Killenaule, will represent his country in a schoolboys international against Germany at the National Stadium in Dublin this Friday night.

14 year-old Curtis Darcy will fight Devin Ambrasas in the Boy 4, 76 kgs. category.

Curtis has been on a winning streak since he began his boxing career with the Callan club as an 11 year-old.

He was runner-up in the Irish championships in his first year as a competitive boxer, but since then his rate of improvement has ensured that he has captured national titles in each of the last two years.

His most recent success was the Cadets title, which qualified him to compete for Ireland in the European championships in Bulgaria in June.

His Irish debut proved an auspicious one, as he went all the way to the final, where he was defeated by a Russian opponent on a split decision.

He had beaten Polish and Ukrainian boxers en route to the decider.

His coach in the Callan club is veteran boxing figure Jimmy Walsh, who has been involved with the sport for the last 75 years and is himself a former international, having represented Ireland against England in 1959.

Jimmy - who received a Hall of Fame award for coaching from the IABA (Irish Athletic Boxing Association) two years ago - rates the Ballynonty teenager highly.

"Curtis has what it takes", he says. 

"He has guts and he's a very heavy and strong puncher", says Jimmy, who will be in his corner at the National Stadium on Friday night.

 A parade of all boxers will take place at 6.45pm. Following the introductions and anthems, the boxing will commence at 7pm.

Curtis is a pupil of Scoil Ruain in Killenaule and, according to Jimmy, never misses a training session, thanks to his own commitment and the dedication of his mother Martha, who drives him over the county border to Kilkenny twice a week in all weathers.

Curtis' younger brother Paul also boxes with the Callan club and is another highly-rated prospect.