Rio heartache was hard for Adam to take
Winning fifth national Senior title wasn’t enough for Nolan to make Olympics bid
BRAY-BASED Garda and five times Irish welterweight champion, Adam Nolan, who has announced his retirement from the ring, has revealed his heartache at missing out on the Rio Olympics.
London 2012 Olympian Nolan, who claimed his fifth Irish Senior crown in December of 2015, lost out in securing a place in the Olympic qualifiers when Ballymena fighter Stephen Donnelly was ratified for the sole Irish welterweight spot for the Rio Games, having finished fourth in the World Series of Boxing semi-pro series.
‘Donnelly was ratified by the governing body (Irish Amateur Boxing Association) so unfortunately I did not get a chance to go to a qualifier,’ Nolan said.
‘I was under the impression going into the Seniors that if I retained my title, I could be sent to a qualifier. But a couple of days later I was hit with this bombshell that winning my fifth Senior title was all in vain: “you can’t be sent now, Stephen has been ratified by the governing body”.
‘The I.A.B.A. was given a deadline of December 4 to ratify Stephen, and if they hadn’t ratified him and I went to a qualifier and didn’t qualify, we would have had no welterweight going. I have no sour grapes with them, I’ve no grievances, but I was hoping for a fair crack of the whip.’
Nolan said he found it difficult to accept that retaining the national title wasn’t enough to put him in contention for the welterweight spot, and questioned the awarding of places through the W.S.B. system.
‘Boxing in the Olympics is an amateur sport. Having come through the amateur route, to be told that the World Series of Boxing, a semi-pro route, is going to take priority over the amateur route, doesn’t make sense to me or some fighters. But that’s just the way it is now, I can’t really dwell on it,’ he said.
The Ballagh native said it was a particular source of frustration that he felt in the best form of his life and could have been a contender in Rio, but he would have been too old for Tokyo 2020.
‘I’m 30 now and in the twilight of my career. Rio was my last chance of going to a second Olympics. I’m going to be 33 come Tokyo. This was my last hurrah.
‘It was tough. But I was very happy to have won my fifth national title. It’s a nice landmark to go out on,’ he added.
Nolan believes that one way around the current qualification system for Irish boxing would be the introduction of an Irish W.S.B. side.
’It would certainly be a good idea having an Irish W.S.B. side for the next Olympics. Our boxers and coaches have to travel all over the world in the W.S.B. as it is,’ he said.
However, Adam lived the dream of boxing in the Olympics, at the London 2012 Games, when he became the second Wexford-born boxer to compete at that level, following in the footsteps of his coach, Billy Walsh.
Adam won his first contest of the 2012 Games 14-8 against Ecuador’s Carlos Sanchez, but lost out to Russia’s Andrey Zamkovoy in the round of 16.
’It was such a proud moment having fellow Wexford man Billy (Walsh) in my corner. But for Billy and the support of my family and friends I would not have been there, and also the support of Pete and Katie (Taylor) in Bray B.C.’
Describing Adam’s qualification at the time, Billy said ‘it was a fantastic result. I know his family. They are big G.A.A. people. It’s massive for Wexford. He’s the second Wexford boxer ever to qualify for the Olympic Games, following after myself. It’s nice to see someone else take up the mantle and hopefully do a lot better than I did’.
‘I was beaten by a better opponent on the day,’ Adam recalled. ‘It was a great experience to win a fight. Billy was great, saying it was a major achievement to go out and win a fight in the Olympics, my first major tournament to box in, having not even boxed in the Europeans.
‘Billy was a great man manager. Himself and Gerry Hussey, the team psychologist, were great to sit down with you one-to-one. There was only three points in it going into the final round, but I had to attack, and basically I’m a counter puncher so it did not suit my style.
‘But still, it was something walking out in the Excel Arena in front of 11,000 spectators. Even the English gave the Irish great support, except if you were boxing someone from Team G.B.,’ Adam added.
Following their success, a new gym was unveiled for Bray B.C. by the Minister of State for Sport and Tourism, along with Katie and Adam. The new gym, which is based in Bray harbour, has changing rooms for men and women, an office, a kitchen, a large physical training area, and a full-size ring with seven-day access for athletes.
He is also a clubmate of Katie Taylor, the five-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, who is now boxing professionally out of America, having lost out in the Rio Games.
When both boxed in the London 2012 Olympic Games, Bray B.C. became the only club in history to have a male and famale boxer feature in the Olympic Games.
On the boxers’ return from the London Games, more than 20,000 people turned out in Bray to welcome them home.
Having been out of boxing for four and a half years, Adam earlier in his career had defeated Carl Frampton in the National Youth 52 kg. Junior final.
‘I’ve grown a lot since then but Carl has remained the same and is now top of the world in his weight division, boxing professionally.
‘I went back into boxing in 2008. I joined up with Pete and Katie in Bray and entered the national Intermedi- ates in 2010, having missed out on 2009 with a hand injury. After winning the Intermediate I was in great form going into the Senior championship in 2011.
‘It was the night of the General Election and I beat a fighter named Carl Brabazon in the Senior final, winning 14-4.
‘Every year I went up to the Senior finals with my father and Martin O’Connor. In 1998 I looked on seeing Mark Wickham winning a Senior final. I was so excited for him.
‘But winning my first Senior title was extra special, with so many from The Ballagh, Oulart and Wexford there to cheer me on. Perhaps the first title was the sweetest of the five. I’ve won five now in six years, beaten in 2014 by Stephen Donnelly on a split decision.
‘When I beat John Joe Joyce in the final I knew had a great chance of going to London. John Joe had previously boxed in Beijing. I had to box four fights in the qualifiers, and beat a Romanian who had already boxed in previous Olympics 19-10 to qualify for London.
‘It was surreal in the dressing-room, with Billy throwing his arms around me. I cried with joy and then rang everyone at home. It was a feeling I will never forget,’ Adam said.
Having boxed in the London Olympics, Adam said it even brought more pressure as he set out to retain
his Irish title.
‘I did not want to lose my Irish title. I was up against Willie McLoughlin who was ranked 13th in the world, so I knew I had a battle on my hands. But having trained so well under Pete and my brother, Darren, I simply boxed out of my skin. I won the boxer of the championship.
‘In December of 2015 the 2016 championships were boxed off and I defeated a fine young and up and coming boxer in the final.
‘It was tough mixing boxing and work but it still became part of my life. I owe a lot of thanks to my bosses in Bray, the Chief Superintendent, the Superintendent and all my work colleague, as they facilitated me in every way to box at this level, they looked after me really well.
‘My colleagues would slag me that I was a full-time boxer and parttime Garda, but that is no longer. Without all their help it would not have been possible.
‘I would be in work and Billy would ring roaring down the ‘phone, “where are you?”. I may have been caught up in work. I would have trained twice a day, three times a week, and my bosses always made the time for me. The Chief Supterintendent and Superinendent always said my boxing career is a short one and they were not going to stand in my way.’
In March of 2015, Adam went to a Multi Nations tournament in Finland. He won all three of his bouts to claim the gold medal for Ireland and the boxer of the tournament award.
He recalls with great pride the special homecomings he received in The Ballagh.
‘It was so special to return home and be among my own. People of The Ballagh and Oulart turned out to give me a special welcome home, and that was so heartwarming. Even people from all over Wexford attended,’ he said.
In his first year out of boxing, Adam won his first Wexford Senior hurling championship medal, as brother Darren was picking up his tenth. Coming from a hugely sporting family, his sister Leanne has been part of the Oulart-The Ballagh camogie successes over the years at county, provincial and national levels.
As a unit they have brought great joy and are a source of huge pride for their parents, John and Ann, and their extended families, while he also had a special mention for a great family friend, Martin O’Connor, who contributed so much to his success down through the years.
Now out of boxing, it is hurling which has been keeping him occupied.
‘Having been approached by Liam Dunne back in 2009 to join the club’s Senior squad, I gave it much consideration. But having spoken with my coach Pete, I was told it was either hurling or boxing but I cannot do both.
‘I thanked Liam for offering me the chance but I declined. I concentrated on boxing and looking back it was the right decision at the time. It was a tough decision.
‘Last year I played with the club Intermediate side and Frank (Flannery) offered me the opportunity to train with the Senior squad. I did not have much of an input on the pitch but it was nice to pick up a Senior medal. I owe a lot to Frank for giving me the opportunity.’
While he may have hung up the gloves, Adam still gets in some sparring sessions with Dean Walsh and his brother, Darren.
‘I do a bit of training under Pete still, and some sparring sessions with Dean and Darren. It’s therapy for me. It’s a big help having retired from boxing. I look after myself well so I will give hurling a go over the next couple of years. It’s nice being back with all the boys I grew up with and hurling again.’
But Adam will not be lost to boxing. ‘When I finish hurling I intend to get back involved with The Ballagh Boxing Club. It’s a small club drawing on young boxers also from the surrounding districts. When your whole life revolves around boxing I would love to be able to give something back to the Ballagh B.C.
‘I would love to be involved with the kids coming up through the ranks. It was my father and Martin O’Connor who have been involved with the club down through the years.
‘They enjoyed some great achievements during that time, and without them it would not have been achieved.
‘So for those two great men I would love to give something back to the club.’