John Cooney's death after a boxing match brings back memories of another tragic loss in 1967 involving Gerard O'Brien. The article explores these two incidents, highlighting the risks associated with combat sports and the profound impact these tragedies have on the Irish boxing community.
The Irish boxing community is reeling from the tragic loss of John Cooney , who died last weekend following an intracranial hemorrhage sustained during his bout with Welsh fighter Nathan Howells in Belfast a week prior. Cooney, 28, never recovered from the injury, prompting a somber reflection on the sport's history of tragedy.
This devastating event echoes a similar loss in January 1967, when 19-year-old Gerard O'Brien, a light-welterweight boxer, passed away after being knocked out just ten seconds before the end of his second-ever fight in the novice section of the Dublin Leagues. O'Brien was rushed to St. Laurence's Hospital, where an emergency brain operation was performed, but a brain clot and hemorrhage developed, leaving him in a permanent coma. His death sent shockwaves through the boxing community, especially among members of his father's club, St. Saviour's, where the writer of this piece, as a 17-year-old, witnessed the gravity of the situation unfold as news of O'Brien's tragic fate broke on the radio. The boxing community rallied around the O'Brien family, with legendary referee Benny Carabini and O'Brien's opponent, John Farrell, walking behind his coffin at his funeral. The O'Brien family was deeply involved in sports, with Gerard's older sister Ann being a national record holder in athletics. She competed in eight consecutive International Cross-Country Championships, winning a silver medal in the team event and a bronze medal three years later. Ann also claimed 19 national championships in her athletic career. This incident isn't an isolated one. In April 2016, at the National Stadium in Dublin, João Carvalho, a 28-year-old Portuguese MMA fighter, succumbed to injuries sustained during a fight against Charlie Ward, highlighting the inherent risks associated with combat sports
BOXING TRAGEDY IRELAND JOHN COONEY GERARD O'brien MMA DEATH NATIONAL STADIUM RISKS SPORTING COMMUNITY
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