Tonight’s Ireland versus England Elite international at the Stadium features Irish heavyweight Darren O’Neill versus English and British champion Chevron Clarke.

 

 

 

 

Rio Olympians Brendan Irvine, Steven Donnelly and Joe Ward are also between the ropes, along with Stephen McKenna, Sean McComb, George Bates and Moira McEliggot.

 

McComb won on his light-welter debut boxing for BSK Hannover in the Bundesliga in Hannover last weekend and wants to make it two wins on-the-trot at the 64kg limit.

 

“I enjoyed the fight in Germany,” said the Belfast southpaw. “It was good to get a fight ahead of England at the National Stadium and February’s Elite Championships.”

 

World silver medallist Kellie Harrington was slated to meet Sarah Dunne tonight, but Dunne picked up an illness and McElligott and Raven Champion is the only women’s bout on the card.

 

Current Irish champion O’Neill, who captained Team Ireland at the London Olympics, said he’s looking forward to tonight’s meeting with Clarke.

 

Doors open at 6.30pm tonight. Boxing commences after the ring parade.

 

Tickets for tonight’s international are available on the door at €10 per adult and €5 per child. Pre-pay tickets available through IABA. Contact eimear@iaba.ie or (01) 453 3371. Group specials available for 10 or more people.

 

Ireland v England National Stadium Dublin December 16th

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland)  v Ishmail Khan (England)

56kg Stephen McKenna (Ireland)  Louis Lynn (England)

57kg Moira McElligott (Ireland) v Raven Chapman (England)

60kg George Bates (Ireland) v Cory O’Regan (England)

64kg Sean McComb (Ireland) v Mason Smith (England)

75kg Steven Donnelly (Ireland) v Lewis Richardson (England)

81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v George Crotty (England)

91kg Darren O’Neill (England) v Chevron Clarke (England)

 

 

 

The final squad training session of 2016, for last seasons Boy 1 and Boy 2 Champions, will take place this Sunday in the High Performance Gym at the National Boxing Stadium.

 

The first session will commence at 11am with the second session ending at 3:30pm.

 

Boxers are required to have full training gear which includes good quality 16oz sparring gloves, bag gloves, a headguard, groinguard, wraps, gumshield, skipping rope, and water for two sessions. A change of clothes is desirable also.

 

The Elite Schoolboys Coaching Staff would like to take this opportunity to thank all the boxers for the commitment shown in 2016 and wish them, their coaches and their families a peaceful Christmas and we look forward to working with them again in 2017.

 

Regards,

 

Paddy Gallagher

 

 

 

 

Team England are due to arrive in Dublin shortly early this afternoon ahead of Friday’s Elite international with Ireland at the National Stadium in Dublin.

Both sides meet over eight-bouts after England’s Sarah Dunne, who was due to meet World Elite silver medallist Kellie Harrington, withdrew because of an illness.

Harrington, who moved up one place to No. 3 in the World 64kg Elite rankings this week, said she was dissapointed the bout was not going ahead but will be at the Stadium tomorrow evening to support Team Ireland.

Steven Donnelly is included in the Irish panel to bring the total of Olympians on the Ireland squad to four – Donnelly, Darren O’Neill, Joe Ward and Brendan Irvine.

England coach Paul Bennett, who brought an English Youth team to Belfast for a training camp with Ireland and Ulster High Performance ahead of the World Youth Championships in Russia in November, said they were looking forward to a very competitive meeting with Ireland.

England beat Scotland in Scotland last weekend, with Louis Lynn, included in the English squad for Dublin where he’ll meet Stephen McKenna, claiming the Best English Boxer Award in Glasgow.

Ticket Information

Tickets for Friday’s international are available on the door at €10 per adult and €5 per child. Pre-pay tickets available through IABA. Contact eimear@iaba.ie or (01) 453 3371. Group specials available for 10 or more people.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the winners of free tickets for the last international of the year versus England.

The winners are: Aimee Walsh,Ann Marie Donoghue,Corey Connelly,Matthew Taylor and Paul Browne

Each of you can bring two friends. To receive your tickets please contact us via Facebook or ring us on 01-4533371

Ireland v England National Stadium Dublin December 16th

Ireland

52kg Brendan Irvine (St Pauls)

56kg Stephen McKenna (Old School)

57kg Moira McElligott (St Michael’s Athy)

60kg George Bates (St Marys)

64kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)

75kg Steven Donnelly (All Saints)

81kg Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)

91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

England

52kg Ishmail Khan

56kg Louis Lynn

57kg Raven Chapman

60kg Cory O’Regan

64kg Mason Smith

75kg Lewis Richardson

81kg George Crotty

91kg Chevron Clarke

 

 

Rio 2016 Olympian Steven Donnelly is looking forward to shaking off some 31st Olympiad ring rust against England at Dublin’s National Stadium on Friday night.

The All Saints BC man, who is included in the AIBA World rankings for the first time in the recently updated rankings, moves up a notch from welter to middle for the weekend’s clash at the home of Irish boxing.

Donnelly, who qualified for Rio 2016 through the World Series of Boxing (WSB), replaces John Joyce who replaced Conor Wallace in the 75kg Irish vest.

Wallace picked up a hand injury and was forced to withdraw, and Joyce, a late call-up, had to withdraw because of the flu.

It’s been an eventful year for Donnelly, with the Ulsterman winning two fights at the Rio Olympics before losing out narrowly at the last-eight stage to Morocco’s current  AIBA World Elite champion Mohamed Rabbi who claimed welterweight bronze in Rio.

Rabbi, incidentally, has since switched codes with Cork manager Gary Hyde. The World, WSB and African Confederation champion is due to arrive in Cork on January 5th and will help train some of Cork’s talented young prospects at the Cork Board Centre of Excellence in Churchfield ahead of his pro debut in his native Casablanca in February.

Donnelly said: “I’ll fill in (moving up to middle) no problem. I was down training in Dublin last week and I felt good enough so I’ll take the fight no problem at middle.The fight will shake off the cobwebs and do me no harm. I’m looking forward to it.”

The former Irish Elite champion joins fellow London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympians Darren O’Neill, Joe Ward and Brendan Irvine on the Irish team.

Team England are due to arrive in Dublin tomorrow.

Tickets for Friday’s international are available on the door at €10 per adult and €5 per child. Pre-pay tickets available through IABA. Contact eimear@iaba.ie or (01) 453 3371. Group specials available for 10 or more people.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the winners of free tickets for the last international of the year versus England.

The winners are: Aimee Walsh,Ann Marie Donoghue,Corey Connelly,Matthew Taylor and Paul Browne

Each of you can bring two friends with you. To receive your tickets please contact us via Facebook or ring us on 01-4533371

Ireland v England National Stadium Dublin December 16th

Ireland

52kg Brendan Irvine (St Pauls)

56kg Stephen McKenna (Old School)

57kg Moira McElligott (St Michael’s Athy)

60kg Kellie Harrington (Glasnevin)

60kg George Bates (St Marys)

64kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)

75kg Steven Donnelly (All Saints)

81kg Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)

91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

England

52kg Ishmail Khan

56kg Louis Lynn

57kg Raven Chapman

60kg Sarah Dunne

60kg Cory O’Regan

64kg Mason Smith

75kg Lewis Richardson

81kg George Crotty

91kg Chevron Clarke