Tallaght MA enjoys big title haul

TALLAGHT Martial Arts junior members were out in force for Kickboxing Ireland National Junior Championships in Citywest last weekend.

More than 450 competitors from all over Ireland took part in the hope of qualifying for the Kickboxing Ireland National team that competes in the WAKO Junior European Championship in Macedonia in September.

Tallaght fighters managed to secure 26 places on the squad, among them being Adam Condon who fought in three different sections in the Juniors (16-18 years) -57 kg and picked up three national titles in Kick light, Light Contact and Points Fighting.

Troy Gannon, fighting in the Junior -63kg Light Contact and Kick Light took first place in both disciplines, but had to pull out of the final Points Fighting division after picking up a hand injury in the semi-final while his TMA clubmate Luke Hensey continued on to win the title after having finished runner-up in Kick Light.

Jodie Browne won the Older Cadets Points Fighting -60kg section while Tola Adebsi and Kate Cassidy met in the final of -55kg Junior Girls section with the former emerging the winner.

Sarah Cassidy took first place in the Younger Cadets (10-12years) -28kg before Nathan Clarke and Brayden Davis met in the final of the Under 8 years Points Fighting division with the former taking the prize.

Leá Farrell and Rebecca Kelch, fighting in the Juniors -50kg Points Fighting class, finished first and second respectively.

Shauna Fitzpatrick was runner-up in the -47kg Younger Cadet Points Fighting section, Zara Jones topped the Older Cadets (13-15 years) -42 kg Points Fighting field and Aaron Keogh finished third in the Younger Cadet -42kg Points Fighting class as did Killian McArdle in Under 10 Years Points Fighting.

Dylan McCleland emerged second from the Younger Cadets -47kg Points Fighting field while Eadaoin McCrave did the double in Points Fighting and Light Contact in the Older Cadet -65kg sections.

Anna White was third in the Under 10 Years Points Fighting section while Conor McGlinchey won all of his fights by ten clear points in the Junior -74kg Points Fighting section to regain his national title.

Adam Smith fighting in the -79kg Points Fighting class, landed the national title before his twin brother Luke also won out in the very tough -63kg section and Luke Shaw finished third in the Younger Cadet -42kg.

Meanwhile both Martin Bannon and Dave Heffernan were awarded their 5th degree black belt by the sport’s international governing body, WAKO at the National Championship.

Earning their ‘Master’ status was the perfect honour for the two, who have coached and inspired thousands of students from the Tallaght area over the last 30 years.