This inaugural tournament was held on Sunday 16^th November 2014 in the Dick Hearns Sports and Fitness Centre, Mercy Rd., Ballina at 3.30 p.m. It is most fitting that this tournament finds a key slot in the Mayo boxing calendar in view of the fact that the late Brian O’Donnell had a lifelong love of the sport, was an inspiration to many, and gave so much back in later life. He first entered the ring at the tender age of 10 and continued his involvement with the sport right to his dying day on 29^th August 2014, at 57 years of age. He competed at all levels in the sport and his finest achievement was to capture the All Ireland Youth Championship title in 1973 and the following year the RTÉ Ringside title, on top of the much coveted Western People Sports Star Award.  To those who knew him he got as much joy out of coaching, mentoring, refereeing and judging on the national and international stage as he got from competing and he always had an eagle eye for spotting talent and encouraging young boxers when they may have needed a fatherly pat on the back. He believed in the coaching of the younger boxers in particular and was instrumental in ensuring boxers as young as 8 years had an outlet for their exuberance at the club, and he regarded them as every bit as important as the boxer who had won a national title.  He would be regarded as a complete boxer in that he was there at all levels and his contribution to Irish boxing will not be easy to surpass. The present generation will remember him as the man who nightly opened the club doors, without fail, greeted each by name as they entered the club, and they regarded him as a father figure, and rightly so.
Every young boxer in the Ballina Boxing Club will be very eager to win the Brian O’Donnell Memorial Trophy in the years ahead. This fine trophy was donated by his widow Pauline and will be presented annually to the club person who has shown loyalty, commitment, and dedication whether inside the ring or outside. We believe that is what Brian would have wanted, and what he expected from those who were put in in his charge.

Brian is sadly missed by his family and many friends at home and abroad, Ballina Boxing Club and the wider boxing community in Mayo and throughout Ireland. May he rest in peace and may those who loved him be comforted.