Home from home for Byrne’s first pro fight
Aodhan Byrne makes his professional boxing debut in Donegal on Saturday evening
By Pat Costello It may not be Las Vagas in the Hills of Donegal but young Aodhán Byrne hopes that he will hit the jackpot when he enters the ring for his first Professional Fight in Ballybofey on Saturday night. The 23-year-old Kilcullen native will take on Polish Boxer Marian Wesolowski on the Jason Quigley Promoted Show in Finn Valley Centre in the Donegal town, the home town of his mother Sinead.
Although he played underage GAA with Sarsfields in Kildare, becoming a Professional Boxer was always the number one aim of Aodhán ever since he joined Kilcullen Boxing Club, having being inspired by the London Olympics of 2012.
Byrne consistently admired Donegal Boxer, Jason Quigley, and used videos of the former Irish Professional Boxer to “persuade” family members to allow him to box when there might have been a reluctance to allow him to do so. It is fitting therefore that Quigley should be running the show which sees the Kilcullen Boxer make his Professional debut at the weekend.
Aodhán Byrne won three Irish titles as an amateur, the last one a senior title last November. The 23-year-old graduate of University of Limerick also wore the green vest of Ireland on numerous occasions.
Byrne is housed in that successful stable of UNIT 3 Health and Fitness in Naas under the watchful eye of Coach and Manager, Niall Barrett. UNIT 3 also boasts such Kildare professionals as Gary Cully and Kelsey Leonard, both of whom are inspirations to the now fledging professional. Cully will return to the ring in March while Leonard will continue her successful career with another fight in April.
An entertainer by nature Aodhán Byrne is a nightmare for opponents as he can mix his style between orthodox and south paw but with the added bonus of an ability to hit hard. Preparations have gone very well for Saturday’s fight for Aodhán who travelled up to Ballybofey on Thursday to stay in his grandmother’s home which is only five minutes from the Finn Valley Centre. Kildare GAA supporters will be familiar with the venue as it is very close to Mac Cumhaill Park where Kildare have played on a number of occasions. The Weigh In takes place on Friday with Byrne expected in the ring around 9pm on Saturday night.
The Kilcullen boxer says he hasn’t had to alter his training since becoming a professional earlier this year as he always trained like a professional during his amateur days. The only difference for the new Kildare professional has been getting used to the sale of tickets and the media requirements around his new profession. Judging by the articulate and confident way Aodhán spoke to the Kildare Nationalist before travelling up to Donegal this week, he need not have any fears in relation to dealing with the media.
About 40/50 are expected to travel up from Kildare to support Aodhán Byrne in Ballybofey on Saturday night and as the Donegal town has more or less been a second home for him having spent every second weekend there, a huge local support is also guaranteed for what might be called his “homecoming” fight. He was a popular attraction when he took part in an Exhibition Show in Letterkenny last October.
Saturday night’s opponent Marian Wesolowski, an orthodox boxer, is the same age as the Kildare man but he’s a lot more experienced with close to 30 fights and a 50/50-win/loss ratio. He is sure to be a tough opponent but Aodhán Byrne says he wanted it that way. He shied away from an easy introduction to the professional game to strive to put himself top of the rankings by the end of 2026.
With the astute management and coaching of Niall Barrett and the inspiration from stable companions, Gary Cully and Kelsey Leonard, the expectation is that Saturday night’s debut into Professional Boxing will be a successful on for Aodhán Byrne.
