Jack Chase

Middleweight Jack Chase was one of the stars of the successful boxing team of the Irish Garda (the national police and security service of the Republic of Ireland) in the 1920s and 30s and went on to become one of the leading amateur Irish boxers of all-time.

Chase served in the Irish Army before joining the Garda, and in addition to winning many national police titles won three European police titles 1928-30. He was also the Irish middleweight for seven years in succession between1926-32. Other highlights of his career include winning a Golden Gloves event at Boston, USA, in 1930 and narrowly losing to the holder Fred Mallin in that year’s ABA middleweight final, when the decision went to the Englishman on the referee’s vote. Chase represented the Irish Free State (now the Republic of Ireland) in the 1928 Tailteann Games in Dublin and the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, where he reached the middleweight quarter-final.

Chase announced his retirement from the ring in February 1933, although he did continue to box in exhibition bouts. He also helped with training and coaching at the Chapelizod Boxing Club in Dublin.