Paul Griffin honoured in Dublin on 25th anniversary of European gold

Irish boxing legend Paul Griffin was lauded in the Mansion House in Dublin yesterday.

The occasion, hosted by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr, marked the 25th anniversary of the Drimnagh BC featherweight winning European Championships gold in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1991.

(Picture: Griffin, Carr, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Michael Carruth, and Martin Collins)

Griffin, who represented Ireland at the 1992 Olympics, won four fights en route to the top of the podium, outpointing England’s Alan Vaughan in the semi-finals before beating Faat Gatin of the Soviet Union 23-15 in the 57kg decider.

Denis Galvin, Joe Lawlor, Paul Buttimer, Neil Gough, Billy Walsh and Joe Lowe also represented Ireland at the 29th edition of the tournament.

Griffin’s gold, our only medal at the tournament a quarter of a century ago, helped Ireland finish in 8th position in the medals table, and ended a 42-year gold medal drought at the Championships.

The Dubliner would claim bronze at the 1993 tournament in Bursa, Turkey, and he remains unbeaten at the level as he was forced to withdraw from him semi final due to injury.

Christy McKenna, Ireland’s coach in Gothenburg, also ttended yesterday’s ceremony along with IABA CEO Fergal Carruth and Olympic champion Michael Carruth, family and guests.

The 1991 European Championships were the first Continental tournament to use computer scoring after the scoring system was changed following the 1988 Olympics.

Watch Paul Griffin’s final v Faat Gatin below:

Ireland’s European Elite Champions

1939: Dublin, Ireland
Flyweight: Jimmy Ingle
Featherweight: Paddy Dowdall

1947: Dublin, Ireland
Light Heavyweight: Gearoid O’Colmain

1949: Oslo, Norway
Lightweight: Maxie McCullagh

1991: Gothenburg, Sweden
Featherweight: Paul Griffin

2005: Tonsberg, Norway
Lightweight: Katie Taylor

2006: Warsaw, Poland
Lightweight: Katie Taylor

2007: Vejle, Denmark
Lightweight: Katie Taylor

2009: Nikolayev, Ukraine
Lightweight: Katie Taylor

2010: Moscow, Russia
Light Flyweight: Paddy Barnes

2011: Rotterdam, Holland
Lightweight: Katie Taylor

2011: Ankara, Turkey
Light Welterweight: Ray Moylette
Light Heavyweight: Joe Ward

2013: Minsk, Belarus
Bantamweight: John Joe Nevin
Middleweight: Jason Quigley

2014: Bucharest, Romania
Lightweight: Katie Taylor

2015: Samokov, Bulgaria
Bantamweight: Michael Conlan
Light Heavyweight: Joe Ward