Willie O'Shea

Willie O’Shea started boxing shortly before his 20th birthday in 1926 and two years later competed in the Amsterdam Olympics. Also in 1928, he won the Irish and All-Ireland Army lightweight titles and was the silver medallist at the Tailteann Games, when he lost on points to Scotland’s lightweight Harry Dingley. O’Shea retained his Irish and Army titles in 1929 and added the Irish welterweight title to his collection in 1931.

O’Shea left the Army and joined the Irish Garda (the national police and security service of the Republic of Ireland) in 1931. Thet year he was in the Irish team that beat the American boxing team in Dublin, and his performance made him a certainty for selection for the Los Angeles Olympics. Sadly, he never made it to his second Games after an injured hand did not recover and he was deemed not fit enough to box again. The injury forced him to retire from competitive boxing after more than ten appearances in an Ireland vest. O’Shea later became a trainer at his local club, Tullamore Boxing Club. He was also a local boxing referee.