The dream of Galway-born Gerry Liam Grealish of adding an Irish title to the Golden Gloves honour he won in his adopted United States, ended in tears at the National Stadium on Saturday night when he was clearly beaten on a 19-10 score-line by John Duddy from the Ringside club in Derry in the light middleweight division.

Duddy showed too much ring craft for the young man from Rosmuc, who has served with the US Marines.

Duddy took the fight to his opponent and although Grealish did some good work throughout the bout Duddy always held the initiative and was a clear winner over the profoundly disappointed man from the US.

In the same category the reigning champion Michael Roche from the Sunnyside club in Cork was given a stern test by Stephen Keeler from the St Saviour's club in Dublin with Roche edging home on a narrow 6-4 score. Keeler proved to be a much tougher opponent than Roche had expected and with good support behind him he was in with a chance right to the end although Roche just about shaded it. In the other light middleweight bouts Marvin Lee from CIE had a clear 20-4 victory over Andrew Brennan and Patrick Walsh from St Colman's beat Tom Fitzgerald from Glen by 24-18 in a lively bout.

A significant result in the middleweight division was the victory from the Romania-born Ciprian Petrea over Frank O'Brian from Drimnagh. Other winners in this division were Tom Sheahan from Athy and Kevin Walsh from St Colman's, Cork.

The reigning light heavyweight champion Alan Reynolds from Sligo advanced with a win over Alo Kelly from Brosna and the other-winners here were Paddy Smyth from Keady, Sean O'Grady from St Saviour's, Dublin and Stephen Walsh from Drimnagh.