Tallaght MA strikes gold in Nationals
TALLAGHT Martial Arts were on top of their game at Kickboxing Ireland National Championship in Citywest Hotel last weekend.
Catering for no less than 443 competitors from 41 clubs around the country, the championship saw Tallaght MA students pick up 43 medals, including 28 gold, eight silver medals and seven bronze as well as a number of fight offs-for more Irish titles.
The first and second place in the juniors will represent Ireland in the WAKO Cadets and Junior World Championship in Italy this September while the Seniors will line out in the European Championships in Slovenia.
Martin Bannon won the Master -94kg Points Fighting section with Dave Heffernan following suit in the +94kg Master class in which Pat Hardiman finished second.
Nicole Bannon won the Senior Female -70kg Points Fighting division. Keri Browne the Senior Female -60kg and her sister Jodie Browne the -60kg Light Contact and Points Fighting Older Cadets (13-15 years) sections.
Sarah Cassidy emerged second from the Younger Cadets (10-12 Years) -28kg section as well as Musical Forms before Nathan Clarke won the 8-9 Years Points Fighting.
Cialam Dowdall was in top form over the two days, winning three national titles in -57kg Older Cadets Kick Light, Light Contact and Points Fighting.
Competing in -65kg Junior (16-18 years), Kym Doyle finished second in Points Fighting and third in Light contact while Leá Farrell won the Junior Girls -50kg and finished second in light contact.
What’s more, she won the second round of the Senior Women -50kg, setting her up for a fight-off for the senior national title in the next few weeks.
Shauna Fitzpatrick finished third in the -42kg Older Cadets while Troy Gannon, fighting in three different disciplines in Junior -63kg, took first place in Points Fighting and Light Contact and second in Kick Light.
David Harris was also third in -74kg Points after Gar Ryan won the -74kg section to set up a title fight-off.
Light contact
Steven Jones won the Senior Men’s -94kg Points with his daughter, Zara taking the Older Cadets -42kg Points title and finishing second in light contact.
Nathan Kelly scooped three national titles in Older Cadets -42kg Points, Light Contact and Kick Light, Josh Lennon emerged runner-up from -32kg Younger Cadets Under 12 Musical Forms and third in Points fighting and Max Lennon made it a double gold in Under 12 -37kg Younger Cadets Musical Forms and Points.
There were further wins for Cillian McArdle (-28kg Points), Ellen Mc Caughey (+47kg Younger Cadet Points), Dylan Mc Cleland (-47kg Older Cadets) and Conor McGlinchey (Junior and Senior -79kg Points).
And there were third place finishes for Isabel McCaughey (8-9 Years Points), Kellie Morgan (70kg Junior Girls Points) and Luke Shaw (-47kg Older Cadets Points) while Anna White emerged runner-up from the -32kg Younger Cadet Points division.
Adam Condon was unable to fight due to an injury he picked up at the Irish Open and so will now have to fight off for the Senior National 57kg Points Fighting title. Likewise Joe Dolan will have a fight off for the Master -84kg honour.
