The defending champion, got a 4-1 decision over Murtagh when it went back to the five judges after the clash finished at 4-4 and tied at 11-11 after the first countback.
The championships once again showed total disregard for the reputations of some of the world’s best amateur boxers. Olympic Youth champion Ryan Burnett, Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth gold medallist Paddy Gallagher, world senior quarter-finalist Willie McLaughlin and 2008 World Youth champion Ray Moylette were all defeated over the weekend.
Three-time senior champion and 2007 European Union gold-medalist Roy Sheehan also lost out after a 2-1 defeat to Jamie Dowling in the welterweight class.
Burnett, who claimed a silver medal at the 2010 AIBA World Youths, was edged 4-3 on his Elite Senior debut by his fellow Belfast flyweight Michael Conlon and the 64kg title is now vacant, after Moylette, from the St Anne’s BC in Westport, dropped a 5-3 decision to Belfast’s James McDonagh on Saturday afternoon.
In the light-heavyweight semi-finals next Friday, Sligo’s Thomas Roohan will face Ken Egan, who is aiming for an unprecedented 11th title in a row after beating Brian Fitzpatrick 4-2 on Saturday.
The second semi-final will be between World Youth Champion Joe Ward and either Davey Joe Joyce or Sean Allen on Saturday night. A problem with the computer scoring system saw the bout postponed at the end of the second round. They’ll meet again next Friday with the winner facing Joe Ward.
Computer scoring issues affected seven of Saturday’s quarter-finals and they were decided on judges’ markings. Defending heavyweight champ Con Sheehan earned a 5-0 unanimous decision over Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy in the 90kg quarter-finals.
Finally, the 2009 World Senior bronze medalist John Joe Nevin defeated Dublin’s bantamweight George Bates.
