Book of condolences opens for John Cooney

A book of condolences has opened in the Ulster Hall to pay tribute to boxer John Cooney following his death a week after a title fight in Belfast.

Mark Dunlop, Mr Cooney’s manager, said the death of the super-featherweight fighter was a “complete tragedy”.

“As much as it is a dangerous sport, the fatalities are rare, but they are there,” Mr Dunlop said.

He described Mr Cooney as being a “great character” and having a “big future” ahead of him.

The Irish boxer suffered an intracranial haemorrhage and had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain following the bout at the Ulster Hall.

Galway man Cooney was assessed by the medical team in the ring before being taken out on a stretcher and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

The contest was stopped in the ninth round in what was Cooney’s first defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s The Nolan Show, Mr Dunlop said: “Boxing is a dangerous sport”.

“Every fighter knows the dangers but like everything no one thinks it’s going to come to their door,” he added.

“It enhances more lives than it destroys or takes.”

“One of John’s sayings was ‘tomorrow is not promised’ and he certainly lived for the day, so he deserves this attention,” Mr Dunlop said.

“It has put me off, maybe the whole thing of promoting but again I would be doing John an injustice if I packed in too because he lived and loved boxing”.