Euphoria for the local supporters of 'Captain Fantastic'

KENNY EGAN:AROUND HERE they call him the Woodford Warrior, the Golden Egan, Captain Fantastic and, as his mother Maura who hails from Kilkenny points out, "he's half a Cat too".

Green, white and orange bunting hung from almost every house on Woodford Downs in Clondalkin - Kenny Egan's home street - yesterday lunchtime and by noon the local Boomers pub was filling with confident fans, among them his dad Paul, who had just arrived in from Beijing.

"I came back because I wanted to get back to my wife," he said. "The house has been full the past two weeks and Kenny's brothers are out in Beijing with him.

"I'm very confident he'll win today. He's boxing very well, doing his training and he's focused but relaxed."

By 2pm, not a barstool could be had. On every one perched an expectant, confident fan, most wearing a white T-shirt with "Boomers Olympic Tour 2008" across the back. At 2.10pm, as the television screens on every wall showed the local boy and Captain of the Irish boxing team walking towards the ring in Beijing, there was a unified roar of "Kenny, Kenny, Kenny . . . " in the bar in Clondalkin.

Things started tensely. Though there were cheers for his first point in the first round, when opponent Jeffries equalised there were tense faces at the back of the bar where chins were rubbed and pints were sipped in measured tones. By the end of the second, and a fourth point for their man, confidence was rising again.

When he scored a fifth, the Boomers were up off their bar-stools, index fingers punching the air and cries of "Go on Kenny" gave way to an assured round of "Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole Ole, Ole".

There were whoops and howls and whistles and more cries of "Go on Kenny!" when a punch landed the sixth point. By the time he landed a seventh the chant was "Easy! Easy! Easy . . . " followed by "You'll never beat the Irish."

"You'll never beat Neilstown," came one retort.

Round three ended. Their man was at eight points. He was home and dry.

At round four, RTE's Jimmy Magee said there was just a minute left. Another huge cheer. At 10 seconds to go there was a united countdown . "Five. Four. Three. Two . . . One! He's done it!" A silver medal for Ireland.

Barmen hugged barmen and babies were thrown (gently) into the air. "I told you! I told you!" yelled one local man, who went by the name PJ and had known Kenny Egan all the boxer's 26 years. "He's crisp, he's fresh. There's not a mark on him. He's a viper. He is the Golden Egan!"

Back at Woodford Downs, his mother Maura was hugged and congratulated by neighbours, friends and perhaps hundreds of people she didn't know who were in her house for the occasion.

"It is wonderful. I'm in shock," she said when asked what it was like to be the mother of a hero.

"To me he's my Captain Fantastic. It's great for Clondalkin when you think of all the bad you hear about it."

Girlfriend Karen Sullivan said she "just wants to give him a hug. Watching that now, I can't even describe it. He hasn't a clue what's going on here, all this fuss and how famous he's after becoming. I tell him on the phone and he just thinks it's funny. It will be some party on Tuesday. I just want to hug him and tell him how brilliant he is".

Plans are already in place for the young man, who lost his first four national fights in less glorious days past, to be brought home to Neilstown on Tuesday from the airport in luxury coach.

But first some unfinished business: a final fight tomorrow (at 8.50am) - and a shot at trading his silver for gold.