Gráinne Walsh
Boxing
BIOGRAPHY
Gráinne Walsh represented Ireland in the women’s 66kg boxing event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she was eliminated in the preliminary round by Hungary’s Anna Hamori on a 3-2 split decision – a result that drew considerable controversy, as Hamori had a point deducted for holding during the bout.
Walsh grew up in Tullamore, Co. Offaly and played soccer for eight years before taking up boxing, including three years with Shamrock Rovers Ladies and a cap for the Ireland Under-17 side. She began boxing with Spartacus Boxing Club in Tullamore. She was a World and European quarter-finalist in 2016 and won a bronze medal at the 2019 European Games in Minsk, but a thumb injury requiring surgery prevented her from qualifying for Tokyo 2020.
Qualification for Paris also proved arduous – she appeared on the verge of securing her place at the first qualifier in Italy before losing a split decision, and ultimately qualified at the final qualifier in Thailand in June 2024, winning four bouts. She studied at NUI Galway.
OTHER BOXING ATHLETES
BOXING NEWS
Team Ireland Set for Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026
Team Ireland is preparing for an exciting milestone on the Olympic pathway as we look ahead to the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026. This is the first Olympic event ever to be hosted on the African continent. The Games take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together the world’s best young athletes [...]
Events coming up in May 2026
Athletics 2-3 May: World Athletics Relays, Gaborone, Botswana Boxing 3-10 May: Feliks Stamm Tournament, Warsaw, Poland Canoeing 29-31 May: Canoe Slalom World Cup 1, Ljubljana, Slovenia Cycling 1-3 May: Downhill & Cross-country Olympic World Series round 1, South Korea 22-24 May: Rás Tailteann, Ireland 22-24 May: Cross Country World Series, Czech Republic [...]
Istanbul 2027 European Games
A Key Step on the Road to LA28 The 4th European Games will take place in Istanbul, Turkey from 16 to 27 June 2027, one year out from the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. For Team Ireland, Istanbul represents a significant moment in the LA28 cycle: a major competitive platform, a qualification opportunity across multiple [...]
Irish Athletic Boxing Association Rebrands as Boxing Ireland
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) becomes Boxing Ireland, marking a transformational milestone for the sport and the beginning of a powerful new era of visibility, engagement and commercial growth for Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport. This rebrand represents far more than a new name or logo. It is about celebrating who they are, recognising [...]
IOC grants provisional recognition to World Boxing
The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally recognised World Boxing (WB) as the International Federation (IF) within the Olympic Movement governing the sport of boxing at world level, during a remote meeting held today. Following an assessment of the situation of World Boxing, it was noted that, among the criteria for recognition that [...]
Nominations For RTE Sportsperson of the Year
Next Sunday evening, December 15th at 9:30 pm, the RTÉ Sport Awards 2024 will air live on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player. Hosted by Joanne Cantwell, Darragh Maloney, and Jacqui Hurley from Studio 4 in RTÉ, the event will celebrate Irish sporting excellence in front of an audience filled with the nation’s top athletes. [...]