The eagles have landed.

Ireland’s medal-laden team arrived home from the European Youth and Junior Women’s Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria this afternoon via Dublin Airport.

The squad claimed six medals, two gold, one silver and three bronze, at the 29-nation tournament in the Bulgarian capital.

IABA President Pat Ryan, IABA CEO Fergal Carruth, IABA High-Performance Director Bernard Dunne and IABA Head Coach Zaur Antia were at Dublin Airport this afternoon to welome the team home.

The next European stop for Irish boxing is the European Schoolboy Championships in Valcea, Romania (July 17th/26th).

Ireland will also send an Elite squad to the European Union Women’s Championships in Cascia, Italy (August 4th/13th).

Youths

Q/Finals

July 3rd

75kg Lauren Kelly (Ireland) beat Gabriella Petrovics (Hungary) 4-1

Last 16

69kg Shannon Reilly (Ireland) beat Natalia Melesha (Ukraine) 5-0

July 4th

Last 16

48kg Caitlin Fryers (Ireland) beat Eliana Pileggi (Switzerland) 5-0

51kg Shauna Blaney (Ireland) lost to Goryana Stovea (Bulgaria) 0-5

54kg Mary Geraghty (Ireland) beat Anahit Aroyan (Armenia) 4-1

57kg Labhaoise Clarke (Ireland) lost to Ulyana Yesipena (Belarus) 0-5
63kg Katelynn Phelan (Ireland) beat Vyataute Kupciunaite (Lithuania) 5-0

Q/Finals

69kg Shannon Reilly (Ireland) lost to Olivia Hussey (England) 2-3

July 5th

Q/Finals

48kg Caitlin Fryers (Ireland) beat Christina Madalina (Romania) 4-1

54kg Mary Geraghty (Ireland) lost to Exaterina Molchanova (Russia) 0-5

60kg Marguerita Nevin (Ireland) lost to Patrycja Borys (Poland) 1-4

63kg Katelynn Phelan (Ireland) lost to Aaslahan Mehmedova (Bulgaria) 0-5

July 6th

S/Finals

48kg Caitlin Fryers (Ireland) beat Maxi Klitzer (Germany) 5-0

75kg Lauren Kelly (Ireland) lost to Anastasia Shamonova (Russia) RSCI3

July 8th

Finals

48kg Caitlin Fryers (Ireland) lost to Mari Todrova (Bulgaria) 0-5

Juniors

July 3rd

Last 16

57kg Niamh Fay (Ireland) lost to Vilma Viitanen (Finland) 0-5

63kg Evelyn Igharo (Ireland) beat Diana Rys (Russia) 3-2

July 5th

Q/Finals

63kg Evelyn Egharo (Ireland) lost to Gulca Arga (Turkey) 0-5

75kg Aoibhe Carabine (Ireland) beat Wiktoria Kluska (Poland) 5-0

Last 16

52kg Mary Kate Nevin (Ireland) lost to Giorgia Rossi (Italy) 0-5

July 6th

Q/Finals

46kg Ciara Brien (Ireland) beat Lidia Monostory (Hungary) 5-0

48kg Daina Moorehouse (Ireland) beat Viktoria Fabuliak (Ukraine) 5-0

50kg Catherine Blaney (Ireland) beat Lenka Bernardou (Czech Rep) 4-1

54kg Chloe McDaid (Ireland) lost to Jekaterina Marchenko (Latvia) 0-5

July 8th

S/Finals

46kg Ciara Brien (Ireland) lost to Melek Zakivova (Bulgaria) 0-5

48kg Daina Moorehouse (Ireland) beat Diana Ermakova (Russia) 5-0

50kg Catherine Blaney (Ireland) lost to Martina La Piana (Italy) 0-5

75kg Aoibhe Carabine (Ireland) beat Angelina Tsaturian (Russia) 5-0

July 9th

Finals

48kg Daina Moorehouse (Ireland) beat Simran Kaur (England) 5-0

75kg Aoibhe Carabine (Ireland) beat Dziyans Novikava (Belarus) TKO1

Irish Squad

Youth

48kg Caitlin Fryers (Immaculata) (Silver)

51kg Shauna Blaney (Navan)

54kg Mary Geraghty (Baldoyle)

57kg Labhaoise Clarke (Carndonagh)

60kg Marguerita Nevin (St.Brigid’s, Kildare)

63kg Katelynn Phelan (St.Brigid’s, Kildare)

69kg Shannon Reilly (Bray)

75kg Lauren Kelly (St.Brigid’s, Edenderry) (Bronze)

Junior

46kg Ciara Brien (St David’s, Naas) (Bronze)

48kg Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry) (Gold)

50kg Catherine Blaney (Navan) (Bronze)

52kg Mary Kate Nevin (Elite, Mullingar)

54kg Chloe McDaid (Illies, Golden Gloves)

57kg Niamh Fay (Bracken)

63kg Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa)

75kg Aoibhe Carabine (Geesala) (Gold)

Team Manager: Bernie Harold

Head coach: Jimmy Payne

Coaches: Ger McDaid, Antoinette Faye-McClean, Liam Brereton

R & J: John Casey

Irish boxing claimed nine medals – three of which are gold – in 17 days of European Elite Men’s and Women’s Youth and Junior competition in June and July.

Joe Ward won gold and Brendan Irvine and Kurt Walker double bronze at the European Men’s Championships in Kharkiv, Ukraine last month and also qualified for next month’s World Championships in Hamburg, Germany along with Sean McComb, who was very unlucky not to finish amongst the medals in Kharkiv.

The Irish women’s team followed that up with a haul of two gold, one silver and three bronze at the European Women’s Youth and Junior Championships which finished in Sofia, Bulgaria yesterday.

Daina Moorehouse and Aoibhe Carabine struck double gold in the Junior event and Ciara Brien and Catherine Blaney double bronze.

Caitlin Fryers claimed European Youth silver and Lauren Kelly bronze.

The Junior side finished in 3rd spot in the medals table and in 4th place in the rankings table at the 29-nation tournament.

The Youth side finished 10th in the medals table and 7th in the rankings table in Sofia.

Jimmy Payne was Irish head coach in the Bulgarian capital and worked Ireland’s corner with Ger McDaid, Antoinette Faye-McClean and Liam Brereton. Bernie Harold was Irish Team Manager.

The Elite Men’s squad, under head coach Zaur Antia and coaches Dmitry Dimitruc, Jimmy Payne and Eoin Pluck finished in 4th place in the medals in the Ukraine and in 4th place in the rankings table.

High-Performance Director Bernard Dunne, with the Irish team in Kharkiv, hailed the performances of Team Ireland at the 42nd European Championships.

“Fantastic performances all round from the Irish squads and coaches and staff in European competition over the last number of weeks in Bulgaria and the Ukraine, said IABA President Pat Ryan.

“Nine medals against some of the top boxers in the world in the various Elite, Youth and Junior categories speaks for itself.”

The IABA President also praised the contribution of Ireland’s clubs, club coaches and staff, a contribution he described as invaluable.

Team Ireland arrived home from Sofia this afternoon via Dublin Airport.