Member's statement: Boxing: Anthony Cacace
Member's statement by Miss Órlaithí Flynn on .
- MLA
- Miss Órlaithí Flynn
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 23 September 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Boxing: Anthony Cacace
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4543593
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I am not sure if Members tuned in to the boxing fights that took place on Saturday night, but I am so proud to stand in the Chamber today to congratulate the boxing world champion, Anthony Cacace. Anthony and I grew up in the same part of Andersonstown in west Belfast. We went to the same youth club at St Agnes's just beside Holy Child Primary School, and little did we all know then, when we were growing up alongside each other, that we were growing up alongside a world champion. Anto, on behalf of Sinn Féin and West Belfast, I say that you are an absolute credit to our community. We are so proud of you. Only a few short months ago, in May, the "Andytown Apache" pulled off a stunning world title win when he defeated his opponent and won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) superfeatherweight title. On Saturday night, our world champion again defeated Josh Warrington in Wembley Arena, successfully holding on to his world title. I have no doubt that friends, neighbours and supporters will again gather in their hundreds tonight at Anthony's parents' home in Andytown to give him the hero's homecoming that he deserves as the undefeated and unbeaten boxing champion of the world. Anto is a humble, down-to-earth person and a hard worker who is dedicated to his sport. He is now rightly a hero to the people of Andytown and particularly to our young people. Maith thú, a Anto.
Your hard work, passion and perseverance have made you a hero in the eyes of the children from our area and from across the island. In an interview following his win at the weekend, Anto said that he is doing everyone in Belfast — north, south, east and west — proud. He is doing everyone in Ireland proud and everyone in Italy, where his father is from. That means the world to him. To Mickey Hawkins and all the team who have helped Anto and who help so many other young people in our community, you are all amazing. What you do with our young people does not go unnoticed. I hope that everyone enjoys the celebrations and that Anto gets some well-deserved rest before his next big fight. We are all very proud of you, Anto. Maith thú
to the "Andytown Apache".
390 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.97).
- Subject area: Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.11 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.02 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.97 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.03 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.70 |
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.10 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.07 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.05 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.05 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:03 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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