The Shamrock Express story

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON?Stephen Kelly (right) and his father Willie are pictured in Westport last week.

The Shamrock Express story


Stephen Kelly from Kilmeena is chasing his dreams in Australia

Interview
Willie McHugh

IN 2001 Stephen Kelly from Kilmeena went to Australia for what was supposed to be a year’s travel.
By way of funding his trip, he got work as a fitness instructor in a Melbourne weight -loss gym. Some of Australia’s professional boxers who were on the books of ‘Fight Card Promotions’, managed by Adam Wilcock, used the facility.
As well as overseeing their fitness, Kelly also sparred with the boxers during their training programme.
The 27 year-old hadn’t boxed for over a decade. Not since his amateur days when he was a member of St Anne’s Boxing Club in Westport.
Meeting up with The Mayo News on a recent visit home he reminisced about his time there and those who helped hone his boxing skills.   
“Peter Mullen, Paul Mullen, Gary Kennedy and Martin Brennan were my coaches, and Pat Calvey, Lord rest him, did a good bit with me too. Ray Moylette came along after me and he boxed my younger brother, Henry, who was in St Anne’s around the same time.
“Henry won an Irish title. I was beaten in two Irish title fights at Youths level. I got picked to box for Ireland in the Four Nations tournament in Liverpool.   
“But I suppose I didn’t have the commitment and discipline back then so that’s probably why I gave it up at a young age. But between playing football with Kilmeena, and soccer with Fahy Rovers, there was a lot going on because there was always sport in our house.
“You wouldn’t get away with lounging in front of the television. Dad [Willie] made sure we kept actively involved in sport, be it boxing, soccer, football or whatever as long as we were doing something.”
Despite his time outside the ropes, Wilcock saw enough potential in the young Mayo man to offer him a contract.
Any hesitation Kelly had about going the professional route was simplified by Wilcock’s logical approach.
“Sure you might as well get paid for it if you’re going doing it and I’m willing to sign you up,” was how he put it.
Kelly became the latest addition to the growing list of Irish boxers in Australia. Denis Hogan from Kildare, the current Australian middleweight champion boxes out of Brisbane. Tony Bates from Dublin fights down in Sydney. Denis is the standard bearer for the Irish fighters in Australia.   
Kelly explains why he called himself The Shamrock Express.
“I took an interest when I was younger in a boxer called Shea Neary who used that nickname because my own mother’s maiden name is Neary. I always said if ever went boxing that’s what I’d like to be known as.”   
After a year of extensive training his first professional fight was against Eddie Lenart in Malvern Town Hall in November 2012. The Shamrock Express recalls the contest that he won on points.  
“Eddie was a kick boxer as well and he made some sort of funny move in the second round and elbowed me. I got eight stitches in the forehead. But luckily the blood was trickling down my nose so it wasn’t getting in my eyes so I could continue. I haven’t been cut since, thank God.   
“A few days later I came back to Ireland for my nephew’s christening. My brother, Declan, who lives in Jersey, asked me to be godfather but I’m not sure what they made of me when I arrived home with a fine shiner and my face still showing the scars and bruises after the fight.
“But my parents are very supportive and always have been of me and indeed all the family.”   
To supplement his income Stephen Kelly does a weekly shift in Melbourne’s ‘Wee Chief Bar’.
“I work there every Sunday morning. It’s run by Irish lads and the clientele are mostly Irish too. On top of your purse you can earn an extra ten per cent through ticket sales.
“The customers are brilliant. They buy tickets for all my fights. They are so encouraging and they that keep me going.
“I know it often sounds like an old cliché but it’s only when you are there among them you see how the Irish look out for each other.    
“A huge Irish following turn up to support the Irish boxers. We got ‘fight of the night’ at my last contest and my manager said he never experienced an atmosphere anything like it before. When two Australians are fighting you could hear a pin drop.   
“Jarrod Fletcher won Commonwealth gold for Australia in 2006 and even when he’s fighting the crowd supporting him are so quiet. And coming from Ireland we find that strange.
“If two local lads were fighting in a tournament below in St Anne’s in Westport the crowd would nearly bring the roof down with the excitement.”   
Kelly has seven professional fights with five wins under his belt. One loss was to Terry DeHaan who beat him by a point. In a rematch shortly afterwards, Kelly easily outpointed him.  His ambition is to win a state medal. He gets another shot at it next November when he fights for the vacant Victoria middleweight title. He’s pitted against DeHaan again.
And he knows the Irish will pack the arena and nearly bring the roof down.  
He thought those times were over when he left Kilmeena for Australia. Then Adam Wilcock saw him sparring.   
The Shamrock Express had arrived in Melbourne.