56kg – Bantamweight –  Kurt Walker (Canal)

60kg – Lightweight – Patrick Mongan (Olympic)

64kg – Light-welter – Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)

69kg – Welterweight – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)

75kg – Middleweight – Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin)

81kg – Light-heavy – Joe Ward (Moate)

91kg – Heavyweight – Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

91+kg – Super-heavy – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

 

High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne

Team manager: Gerry O’Mahony

Head Coach: Zaur Antia

Coaches: Dmitry Dimitruc, Jimmy Payne,  Eoin Pluck

Physio: Seamus Caffrey

Doctor: Jim Clover

Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary

Performance Analysis: Alan Swanton

 

Ireland’s coaches will complete their AIBA World 2-Star Coaching Course in Lviv, Ukraine over the next 24 hours.

Antoinette Faye-McClean, Michael Mongan (Olympic BC), Patrick McDonagh (Geesala BC) and Tom Murray (Muskerry BC) are taking part in the course and the exams.

The Irish quartet finishing their 2nd and final practical exam today, Michael Mongan reports.

”Our last overall exam is on in the morning, the theory part of the exam,” he said.

The IABA wishes all four Irish coaches the very best of luck in their exams.

The course, which is run by the Ukrainian Boxing Federation and the European Boxing Confederation at the Lviv Sports University and Lviv Hotel, is open to coaches who have earned AIBA 1-Star Coach Certification credentials.

 

 

Sofia, Bulgaria July 2nd/10th

Irish Squad

Junior

46kg Ciara Brien (St David’s, Naas)
48kg Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry)
50kg Catherine Blaney (Navan)
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)

Youth

48kg Caitlin Fryers (Immaculata)
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)

Team Manager: Bernie Harold

Coaches: Jimmy Payne Ger McDaid, Antoinette Faye-McClean

R & J: John Casey

 

 

Dean Gardiner claimed victory from tonight’s European Elite Championships box-off with Martin Keenan of the Rathkeale BC in Limerick at Dublin’s National Stadium.

 

The Tipperary super-heavyweight, the 2015 National Elite champion, earned a 4-1 split decision over the current Elite champion after three close rounds.

 

Gardiner, who boxes out of the Clonmel BC, will now represent Ireland at 91kg+ at the 42nd edition of the European Championships in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

 

Team Ireland leave for their final training camp in Kharkiv next Monday.

 

Ireland will use a nine-strong squad at the tournament which is the only qualifier for the World Elite Championships in Hamburg, Germany in August/September.

 

Boxing begins on June 16th in the Ukraine.

 

 

Box-Off National Stadium Dublin

 

May 31st

 

91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) beat Martin Keenan (Rathkeale) 4-1

 

 

European Elite Men’s Championships Kharkiv, Ukraine June 14th/25th

Irish squad

 

52kg – Flyweight – Brendan Irvine (St Pauls)

56kg – Bantamweight –  Kurt Walker (Canal)

60kg – Lightweight – Patrick Mongan (Olympic)

64kg – Light-welter – Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)

69kg – Welterweight – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)

75kg – Middleweight – Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin)

81kg – Light-heavy – Joe Ward (Moate)

91kg – Heavyweight – Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

91+kg – Super-heavy – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

 

High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne

Team manager: Gerry O’Mahony

Head Coach: Zaur Antia

Coaches: Dmitry Dimitruc, Jimmy Payne,  Eoin Pluck

Physio: Seamus Caffrey

Doctor: Jim Clover

Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary

Performance Analysis: Alan Swanton

 

 

 

IABA Statement

The Board of Directors of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) accept that selection of athletes for international competition should rest with the High-Performance Management Team.

However, the current Rule Book adopted in 2006, provides that it is the Central Council who currently have the authority either, to select or put in place alternative arrangements for selection. The Central Council do take into account the recommendations of the High-Performance Management Team.

In respect of selection for next month’s European Championships the High-Performance Management Team had recommended a Box off at super heavyweight and if a box off was not acceptable the only other option put forward would be the current National Champion, Martin Keenan be chosen in that division. The Central Council chose to select Dean Gardiner over Martin Keenan.

After careful consideration, last weekend, the Central Council revised that decision and provided as allowed for in the Rule Book to hold a box off between Dean Gardiner and Martin Keenan for the right to represent Ireland in that division at the European Championship. The box off will be held in the National Stadium at 8pm tonight, Wednesday 31st May, with the winner earning the place on the team.

The Post Rio Review completed in the aftermath of last year’s Olympic Games did recommend that the power of selection should rest with the IABA’s High-Performance Management Team. The Board of Directors of the IABA have committed to implementing the recommendations of that report in full and all have been included in the strategic plan published in December 2016. Amendments to the Rule Book will be required for most of these recommendations to take effect.

The IABA has been asked by the Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport at a meeting on Wednesday 31st May to arrange that the relevant change to the selection procedure be put in place by the end of June. The Board of Directors have agreed to use their best endeavours to facilitate this and will immediately write to the Central Council asking them to put in place an alternative arrangement for selection as allowed for in the current Rule Book that would see selection rest with the High-Performance Management Team.

The IABA can further confirm that a draft Rule Book which provides for all the Rio Review recommendations was prepared in March by independent consultant, Sarah O’Shea of SOS Sport Consult, following consultation with both the Board and the Central Council Rule Book Committee.

The Board of Directors have since then sought several meetings with the Central Council to discuss the proposed new Rule Book but the CentralCouncil have not yet been available to meet. The Board of Directors are committed to finalising consultation with the Rule Book Committee of the Central Council and the wider IABA membership as quickly as possible in respect of the draft before taking the legal steps required to effect the proposed changes.

The Board of Directors will confirm a timetable for the consultation and proposed adoption of the new Rule Book in accordance with best legal practice.