Kellie Harrington on 64kg World Elite medal podium in Astana.
Ireland claimed over 40 medals in various tournaments throughout the planet in 2016, with 17 of those medals, three of which were Elite, secured in World and European competition.
Four Irish boxers also qualified for Rio 2016 this year, while in another notable success, Kellie Harrington became the first Irish female boxer besides Katie Taylor to reach an AIBA World Elite final.
Harrington, Taylor and Christina Desmond secured Ireland’s World and European Elite medals in 2017, while Michael Nevin, Gabriel Dossen, Oliver McCarthy and Terry McEntee finished in podium positions at World and European Youth level.
Ireland’s Junior and Schoolboy teams bagged ten medals between them in European competition and Ireland’s female Youths and Juniors brought home a staggering 15 medals,plus the Best Team and Best Junior Boxer Awards, courtesy of Mary Kate Nevin, from the Queens Cup in Germany.
Christina Desmond and ken Okungbowa, representing the Irish Third Level Athletic Boxing Association, also won double bronze at the World University Championships in 2016, a first for Irish boxing at this level.
Ireland Medal Winners in International Competition 2016.
Strandja Multi-Nations Sofia, Bulgaria
February
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ballynacargy) (Bronze)
Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Billy McClean, Jimmy Halpin
Gee Bee Elite Multi Nations Helsinki, Finland
March
49kg Stephen McKenna (Old School) (Bronze)
52kg TJ Waite (Ormeau Road) (Silver)
75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise) (Silver)
91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) (Silver)
Coaches: Zaur Antia and Noel Burke
Pavlyukov Youth Memorial Anapa, Russia
March
64kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) (Gold)
69kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) (Bronze)
Coaches: Billy McClean & Fergal McKenna
European Male & Female Olympic Qualifiers Samsun, Turkey
April
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) (Bronze and qualifies for Rio 2016 after box-off win)
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray) (Bronze)
60kg David Oliver Joyce (AIBA Pro Boxing, St Michael’s Athy) (Bronze and qualifies for Rio 2016 after box-off win)
Team manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, John Conlan
AIBA World Women’s Elite Championships and Olympic Qualifiers Astana, Kazakhstan
May
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray) (Bronze and qualifies for Rio 2016)
64kg Kellie Harrington (Glasnevin) (Silver)
Team manager: Anna Moore
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, Gerry Storey, Pat McDonagh
(Qualifiers in three Olympics weights of 51kg, 60kg and 75kg for women)
World Male Olympic Qualifiers Baku, Azerbaijan
June
75kg (Middleweight) Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise) (Gold and qualifies for Rio 2016)
91kg + (Super-heavy) Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) (Silver).
Team manager Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Zaur Antia and Eddie Bolger
European Youth Championships Anapa, Russia
June
52kg Terry McEntee (Old School) (Bronze)
60kg Oliver McCarthy (Brian Dillon’s) (Silver)
Team Manger: Stephen Connolly
Coaches: Billy McClean, Dmitry Dimitruk
European Junior Championships Kaposvar, Hungary
June
46kg Terry Donoghue (St Michaels Athy) (Silver)
52kg Martin McDonagh (Glen) (Bronze)
57kg Edward Donovan (OLOL) (Gold)
66kg Jack Conroy (Mullingar Elite) (Silver)
Team manager: Peter Brady (Holy Trinity)
Coaches: Billy McClean, Philip Keogh, Tony Davis
European Schoolboy Championships Zagreb, Croatia
July
48KG Cain Lewis (Ballymun) (Bronze)
54KG Francis Maughan (St.Marys Dublin) (Bronze)
56KG Patrick Collins (Baldoyle) (Bronze)
59KG Jason Irwin (Castleblaney) (Bronze)
65KG William Hayden (Crumlin) (Gold)
68KG Jason Myers (Titans) (Gold)
Team Manager: Paddy Gallagher
Coaches: Igor Khmil, JP Kinsella, Eoin Pluck, Brian Barry
Queens Cup Stralsund, Germany
October
Junior
46kg Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry) (Silver)
48kg Caitlin Fryers (Immaculata) (Gold)
50kg Mary Kate Nevin (Mullingar Elite) (Gold)
54kg Mary Geraghty (Baldoyle) (Bronze)
57kg Margurita Nevin (St Brigids Kildare) (Gold)
60kg Shauna O’Callaghan (Clann Naoife) (Gold)
63kg Roisin Gannon (Connemara) (Bronze)
63kg Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa) (Gold)
Youths
48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Anne’s, Westport) (Gold)
51kg Kelsey Leonard (Curragh) (Gold)
57kg Kellie McLoughlin (Drimnagh) (Bronze)
60kg Orla Garvey (Dealgan) (Silver)
64kg Shannon Reilly (Bray) (Bronze)
69kg Joanne Richards (St Michael’s NW) (Silver)
75kg Aoife Burke (St Mary’s Dublin) (Silver)
Team manager: Bernie Harold
Coaches: Jimmy Payne, Antoinette Faye, Noel Burke
Ireland wins Best Team Award.
Mary Kate Nevin wins Best Boxer Junior Boxer
European Women’s Elite Championships Sofia, Bulgaria
November
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) (Bronze)
Team manager: Noreen Glendening
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, Dmitri Dimitruc