Battle at the Border SOLD OUT!

There is not one ticket left for the hottest event on either side of the border this weekend which will see Team Derry and Team Donegal battle it out, all in aid of mental health.

P&C Promotions are hosting the ‘Battle at the Border, which will take place at the Halfway House this Saturday night, and anticipation for the event is off the chart.

“It is mental health month in November so myself and my friend Paddy Friel, who owns a gym called ‘Friel Fight Club’, so he asked me to give him a hand because I know half of Derry and he knows half of Donegal,” Colin explained.

“There were no problems getting people involved. We have plenty of people. I could even run another three shows. The craic is good with the boys. I’m a boxer and Paddy’s a boxer so we know what we’re at. We go down there at half six and we separate the Donegal and Derry fighters, so Derry is 6:30-8pm, and the Donegal boys are 8pm-10pm.”

For over 10 weeks now, participants in both camps have been working hard to get themselves in the best possible shape for the big showdown, with Colin Moore and Paddy Friel putting them through their gruelling schedules. But it’s all a bit of craic too with the atmosphere in Friels’ Gym a special one, especially now as the event gets ever closer.

“There are different levels throughout – there are ones with no boxing experience, and there are Irish champions as well as a European champion, so it’s a good range,” Colin explained.

“It’s just about having fun on the night. It’s about bringing all the boys together and it has given them a bit of purpose in the last 10 weeks having this training camp. They are all fit, some boys have lost a stone and a half and other boys have lost a stone so there are so many benefits.”

Behind the hard work and the great atmosphere in the gym, there is an important message, with funds also being raised for the Danny Quigley Fund and White Oaks. Colin knows full well the importance of supporting people’s mental health and feels an event like this is a great outlet for many, not least of all because of the social aspect of it.

“There is a crisis around mental health in the town,” he said. “I have seven mates that passed away with drugs and suicide and stuff like that so doing something like this is good for everyone. If we can help just one man here, that’s all that matters. If anyone reads this and wants to train at Friel’s Fight Club, they are welcome to come down for a free session.”

Such is the popularity of this week’s event, that P&C are already planning their next show just a few months down the line.

“We have another show booked in February so we’re hoping to do something like this every couple of months,” Colin explained. “The demand is definitely there. The messages I’m getting – it’s a sold-out event and there are still people messaging me in their hundreds. There are four other shows on that day, and they are still coming to us, which is great.”