Ireland’s Elite boxers are primed to battle it out in the penultimate weekend of the National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium on Friday and Saturday evening.
With almost 30 Elite belts between them, Ireland’s World, European gold, silver and bronze medalists and Olympians are penciled in to clash in the semi-final stages of the flagship tournament of Irish boxing.
David Oliver Joyce, a three-time EU champion, meets his brother and St Michael’s Athy team-mate Hughie Joyce in Friday’s lightweight decider.
“The only prediction we will make is that there will be a St Michael’s Athy boxer in the 60kg final,” he said. The winner advances to face defending champion Sean McComb, a European Games bronze medallist, or George Bates.
London 2012 Olympians Darren O’Neill and Adam Nolan, both defending champions at heavy and welter, cross swords with Stephen McMonagle and Michael Bustard.
“I’m expecting a very tough semi-final. That’s what I’ve prepared for,“ said ex European Elite silver medallist O’Neill who targeting his six Elite belt at two separate weights.
Defending light-welter champion Dean Walsh, a 2015 European Elite bronze medallist, is in against Galway ace James Cleary.
Walsh edged ex European Elite and World Youth champion Ray Moylette on a split decision in a fiery 64kg final last January to secure the belt. Moylette faces Wayne Kelly over three, three minute rounds on Saturday. Kurt Walker is the first defending champion between the ropes this weekend versus Cork’s Colin O’Donovan.
Michael O’Reilly begins his defence on Saturday evening. The Portlaoise BC middleweight claimed European Games gold and World Elite bronze this year to go to No. 3 in the AIBA World Elite rankings at 75kg.
Meantime, European Games silver medalist Brendan Irvine and former World Junior champion Willie Donoghue, who claimed bronze for Ireland at the European Youths in Poland last weekend, collide on Saturday. Irvine won an Elite belt at light-fly earlier this year but has moved up to flyweight, while Donoghue is making his Elite debut. Friday’s card kicks off with a quarter-final between Fearghus Quinn and John Joyce, who also won bronze at the European Youths last weekend and who is also making his Elite debut.
The IABA are running the Elites for a second time this year to facilitate Ireland’s boxers heading into the Olympic qualifiers in 2016.
The Championships conclude with the Elite Finals night on December 11th. The finals bring the curtain down on the domestic year and an historic twelve month period in which Ireland’s boxers secured medals in every international tournament entered . Tickets for the Finals on Friday 11th December can be purchased through Tickets.ie
Media Enquiries:
Bernard O’ Neill – 089 469 7195 | [email protected]
Robert Connolly – o1 453 3371 | [email protected]
National Elite Championships Results
December 4th (7.30pm)
Q/Final
75kg Fearghus Quinn (Camlough) V John Joyce (St Michaels Athy)
S/Finals
49kg Regan Buckley (St Teresas) V Darryl Moran (Illies GG)
52kg TJ Waite (Ormeau Road) V Jason McKay (St Pauls Antrim)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal) V Colin O’Donovan (Togher)
60kg David Oliver Joyce (St Michaels Athy)V Hugh Joyce (St Michaels Athy)
64kg Dean Walsh (St Josephs/Ibars) V James Cleary (Olympic)
69kg Adam Nolan (Bray) V Michael Bustard (Monkstown Antrim)
81kg Christopher Blaney (Navan) V Sean McGlinchey (Oakleaf)
91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) V Stephen McMonagle (Holy Trinity)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Damien Sullivan (Emerald Antrim)
December 5th
S/Finals (7.30pm)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Pauls Antrim) V William Donohue (St Michaels Athy)
56kg Jason Kirwan (Ballagh) V Myley Casey (St Francis)
60kg George Bates (St Marys Dublin) V Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)
64kg Wayne Kelly (Athlone) V Ray Moylette (St Annes)
69kg Caoimhin Hynes (Holy Trinity) V Martin Stokes (Holy Family Drogheda)
75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise) V Winner
75kg Conor Wallace (St Monicas Newry) V Eddie Byrne (Na Fianna)
81kg John Paul Delaney (Emerald A) V Sean Allen (Arklow)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) V Bernie O’Reilly (Portlaoise)
91+kg Thomas Carty (Glasnevin) V Constantin Popivicu (Johnstown)
Results so far
November 28th
Q/Finals
52kg Jason McKay (St Pauls Antrim) beat Adam Courtney (St Marys Dublin) TKOI2
75kg Conor Wallace (St Monicas Newry) beat Connor Coyle (St Josephs Derry) 3-0
75kg Eddie Byrne (Na Fianna) beat Glory Lmuala Carlos (Maynooth) 3-0
81kg Sean McGlinchey (Oakleaf) W/O
81kg John Paul Delaney (Emerald Antrim) beat Matthew Tinker (St Francis) 2-1
91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) beat Stephen Lawrence (Holy Family Drogheda) 3-0
91kg Stephen McMonagle (Holy Trinity) beat Ciaran Griffin (Celtic Eagles) 3-0
91kg Kiril Afansev (Smithfield) beat Christy Joyce (St Michaels Athy) 3-0
91kg Bernie O’Reilly (Portlaoise) beat Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone) 2-1
Men
November 21st
Q/Finals (7pm)
60kg David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) beat Gary Cully (St Davids) 2-1
60kg Hughie Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) beat Anthony O’Rawe (Braid) 3-0
60kg George Bates (St Marys) beat Gary McKenna (Old School) 3-0
60kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity) beat Tiernan Bradley (Sacred Heart) 3-0
64kg Dean Walsh (St Ibars) beat Benaldo Marime (Holy Trinity) 3-0
64kg James Cleary (Olympic) beat Keith Flavin (Paulstown) 2-1
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ballynacargy) beat Gerard Matthews (St Pauls) 3-0
64kg Ray Moylette (St Annes) beat Patrick Lenihan (St Marys) 3-0
69kg Michael Bustard (Monkstown) beat Fergal Redmond (Arklow) TKOI3
69kg Caoimhin Hynes (Holy Trinity) beat Conor Doherty (Holy Trinity) 3-0
Women
November 27th
Finals
48kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigids Edenderry) beat Donna Barr (Twin Towns) 2-1
51kg Michaela Walsh (Holy Family GG) beat Ceire Smith (Cavan) 3-0
54kg Dervla Duffy (St Brigids Kildare) beat Elaine Harrison (Ardnaree) 2-0
57kg Moira McElligott (St Michael’s Athy) beat Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) 2-1
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel) 3-0
64kg Kelly Harrington (Glasnevin) beat Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone) 3-0
69kg Clare Grace (Callan) beat Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) 3-0
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) W/O
81+kg Diana Campbell (Garda) beat Maeve McCarron (Carrigart) 3-0
November 20th
S/Finals (7.30pm)
48kg Donna Barr (Twin Towns) beat Alexandra Kornaga (Carrickmacross) 3-0
54kg Elaine Harrison (Ardnaree) beat Jade Corcoran (Crumlin) 3-0
60kg Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel) beat Kayleigh Murrihy-McCormack (Kilfenora) 3-0
64kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone) beat Shanice Just (Arklow) 3-0
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) W/O
