The old Cecil B DeMille adage of starting off with an earthquake and building up to a climax for the perfect movie was played out at the National Stadium last night. With London 2012 Olympic bronze medallists Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan the first two bouts on the card, the almost full stadium were served a grand opening on national seniors night.

Both light flyweight Barnes and bantamweight Conlan won their fights unanimously, Conlan taking his fourth national senior title while stepping up a weight into John Joe Nevin’s vacated division for the first time since Nevin turned professional late last year.

Barnes also won on all three referee’s cards against Ryston’s Hugh Myers. The former European champion was typically industrious and aggressive in his punch count but Myers was far from intimidated and made the Belfast champion work hard for his belt.

A good right form the Kildare man in the second round stiffened Barnes for a storming third, where his fitness and work-rate proved too much.

“He was very, very fit,” said Barnes. “It was great to get a good fight like that. I think my own killer punches might have counted a bit more.”

The Conlan tendency to showboat was again overwhelming for the slick Belfastman in his final with Tyrone McCullough. But once more the movement and speed that has earned him Olympic bronze and European silver at flyweight gave him a largely untroubled fourth senior title, his first at 56kg.

“I’m a two-weight champion. We’re still mates I’d say, although I don’t know after that there – I did a bit of show-boating, but you have to do it, it’s a part of the game,” said Conlan.

“It was very cagey. He’s a very tricky opponent, very awkward. There’s times he’s destroyed me in sparring because I just lose my cool. But I kept my distance and kept him on the edge of my shots.”

Joe Ward (20), the 2013 World Championship bronze medalist, retained his light heavyweight title with a relentless three rounds against Matthew Tinker. Ward forced a standing count from Tinker in the second round with a nicely delivered left hook and never looked in doubt. Pushing his opponent back for most of the nine minutes and landing at will in the final seconds of the third, Ward took the 81kg title on a unanimous decision.

But there were several casualties along the way with Bray southpaw Adam Nolan, the London 2012 Olympian, falling by a split decision to Stephen Donnelly in the 69kg class.

Seán McComb also lost on a split decision to Athy's David Oliver Joyce in the 60kg division, while Darren O'Neill failed to lift the 75kg title against Michael O'Reilly.
49kg: P Barnes (Holy Family) bt H Myers (Ryston) 3-0; 56kg: M Conlan (St John Bosco) bt T McCullagh (Holy Family) 3-0; 60kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy) bt Sean McComb (Holy Trinity) split decision; 69kg: Stephen Donnelly (All Saints) bt Adam Nolan (Bray) split decision; 75kg: Michael O'Reilly (Portlaoise) bt Darren O'Neill (Paulstown) spilt decision; 81kg: Joe Ward (Moate) bt Matthew Tinker (St Francis) 3-0