DONOGHUE AND GABRIEL CLAIM DOUBLE GOLD AND SILVER FOR MCDONAGH
Ireland finish 5th in medals table and 3rd in rankings table in Romania.
He was the first Irish boxer between the ropes on May 24 and the last Irish boxer out of the ring today – with a gold medal.
St Michael’s Athy light-fly Michael Donoghue beat Dmytro Molodan of the Ukraine this afternoon to secure the 48kg title for Ireland at the European Juniors in Galati, Romania.
The Irish southpaw, who won five bouts en route to the top of the podium, had his work cut out against the busy Ukrainian.
But the new European champion landed the majority of cleaner shots – particularly with his backhand – to secure another impressive decision and finish on top of the light fly podium.
Chloe Gabriel was crowned European Junior 50kg champion earlier today.
The Dubliner produced a composed and assured display to beat Russia’s Valeriia Linkova to bag Ireland’s first gold of the competition.
The Mulhuddart BC stylist won three fights en route to flyweight gold and all three rounds today on the unofficial card.
Working fluently from head to body and scoring regularly with crisp lefts ,the occasional right thrown into the bargain, Gabriel was full value for the win.
Winnie McDonagh, with all guns blazing, narrowly lost out in her bid for gold this afternoon versus Italy’s Viola Piras.
The Dubliner worked her socks off to cut down the space against her tall and rangy opponent and drive home solid punches in all three rounds.
The Italian counter puncher was on the canvas in the third but that was ruled a slip with McDonagh again delivering the bigger shots going down the final stretch.
Massive performance from the Neilstown BC light-welter who won gold for Ireland at the 2018 European Schoolgirl Championships.
Dom O’Rourke, President of the IABA and a St Michael’s Athy man, hailed the performances of the Irish trio and coaching staff of Billy McClean, James Doyle, Gerard McDaid, John Gallagher, Aoife Hennigan after today’s deciders.
“All three of our boxers gave it everything. I thought Chloe boxed brilliantly today and throughout the tournament and Winnie was unlucky. It was very close, but she’s obviously got a very bright future ahead of her as she won European Schoolgirl gold last year, he said.
“Michael was in top form and he can be very proud of his performances out here, we certainly are. That’s five wins in just over a week for him and you can’t ask anymore than that. Congratulations also to our coaches and team managers for the amount work they’ve put into this tournament.
“The squad have been fantastic out here. Everyone of them boxed their hearts out and with a bit of luck we might have had more medals. They’ve been absolutely brilliant and congratulations also to their clubs and club coaches who prepared them.”
Team Ireland are due to arrive home via Bucharest via Dublin Airport (Terminal 1) at 4.45pm on tomorrow, Sunday June 2.
Two gold medals, a silver and six bronze – which should be enough to secure a top five finish in the medals table at the 35-nation tournament – will be on the flight with them.
European Male and Female Junior Championships Galati, Romania, May 22/June 2
June 1
Finals
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Dmytro Molodan (Ukraine) 5-0
50kg Chloe Gabriel (Ireland) beat Valeriia Linkova (Russia) 4-1
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) lost to Viola Piras (Italy) 2-3
May 31
S/Finals
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Boris Eroshkin (Russia) 5-0
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) lost to Ivan Kobzev (Russia) 1-4
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) lost to Vladislave Chepizhko (Russia) 2-3
May 30
S/Finals
48kg Robyn Kelly (Ireland) lost to Anastasia Kirienko (Russia) 0-5
50kg Marie Marine-Gabriel (Ireland) beat Elen Ayari (Italy) 5-0
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) lost to Liana Tarasian (Russia) 0-5
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Ani Manukyan (Germany) 5-0
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Ireland) lost to Natalia Zavialova (Russia) 0-5
75kg Dearbhla Tinnelly (Ireland) lost to Valeriia Vorontsova (Russia) 0-4
May 28
Q/Finals
46kg Breda Quilligan (Ireland) lost to Fanni Kovacs (Hungary) 0-5
46kg Dylan Eagleson (Ireland) lost to Timur Khalilov (Russia) 2-3
50kg Chloe Gabriel (Ireland) beat Veronika Zajicova (Czech Republic) 5-0
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) beat Antoneia Alecu (Romania) 5-0
60kg Michael McCarthy (Ireland) lost to Magomed Mamaev (Russia) 0-5
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Ireland) beat Radmyla Rodinova (Ukraine) 3-2
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) beat Narek Zakharyan (Armenia) 5-0
75kg Dearbhla Tinnelly (Ireland) beat Nur Kocaoglu (Turkey) 4-1
75kg Mark Duffy (Ireland) lost to Vinny Huczmann (England) 0-5
May 27
Q/Finals
48kg Robyn Kelly (Ireland) beat Gamze Soguksu (Turkey) 5-0
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Said Abdullayev (Azerbaijan) 5-0
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Lia Pukkila (Finland) 5-0
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) beat Matvei Starikov (Estonia) 5-0
57kg Nicole O’Sullivan (Ireland) lost to Cristina Ciobanu (Romania) 1-4
70kg Shauna Doherty (Ireland) lost to Melania Moldovan (Romania) 2-3
70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) lost to Mikhail Usov (Russia) 0-5
80kg Margaret Stokes (Ireland) lost to Natalia Hodyk (Ukraine) 1-4
May 26
Last 16
46kg Dylan Eagleson (Ireland) beat Rafael Lozano (Spain) 5-0
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat James Sweeney (Scotland) 5-0
52kg Donagh Keary (Ireland) lost to Asad Aghayev (Azerbaijan) 0-5
60kg Michael McCarthy (Ireland) beat Giorgi Zhorzhaliani (Georgia) 3-2
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) beat Andrei Mustet (Turkey) 5-0
70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) beat Alperen Terzi (Turkey) 4-1
May 25
Last 16
52kg Rachael Lawless (Ireland) lost to Sophia Mazzoni (Italy) 0-5
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Ireland) beat Ellie Taylor (Wales) 5-0
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) beat Ares Hakoyban (Armenia) 4-0
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Ceren Tuncer (Turkey) 5-0
75kg Mark Duffy (Ireland) beat Lucian Miltitelu (Romania) 5-0
Last 32
54kg Mustafa Edris (Ireland) lost to Royston Smith-Barney (England) 1-4
May 24
Prelims Last 16/32
1st session
48kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) beat Zoltan Cservak (Hungary) 5-0
48kg Robyn Kelly (Ireland) beat Iryna Melnyk (Ukraine) 5-0
66kg Taylor Guiney (Ireland) beat Orhan Mehmet (Turkey) 5-0
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Ireland) beat Petra Kovacs (Hungary) 5-0
80+kg Thomas McDonnell (Ireland) lost to Dzmitry Barysav (Belarus) 1-4
50kg Jason Nevin (Ireland) lost to Saba Tkebuchave (Georgia) 1-4
57kg Martin McCullough (Ireland) beat Kevin Bohm (Sweden) 5-0
60kg Shelby Myres (Ireland) lost to Maryna Muliarchk (Belarus) 2-3
63kg Thomas King (Ireland) lost to Niv Rahamin (Israel) 1-4
80kg James Ward (Ireland) lost to Jack Turnbull (England) 2-3
Irish squad
Female
46kg Breda Quilligan (Rathkeale)
48kg Robyn Kelly (Ballynacargy) (Bronze)
50kg Chloe Gabriel (Mulhuddart) (Gold)
52kg Rachael Lawless (Portlaoise) Cpt
54kg Aaliyah Butler (Monivea) (Bronze)
57kg Nicole O’Sullivan (Corinthians)
60kg Shelby Myres (Crumlin)
63kg Winnie McDonagh (Neilstown) (Silver)
66kg Tiegan Farrell (Arklow) (Bronze)
70kg Shauna Doherty (Sacred Heart, Dublin)
75kg Dearbhla Tinnelly (Clann Naofa) (Bronze)
80kg Margaret Stokes (Callan)
Male
46kg Dylan Eagleson (St Pauls, Antrim)
48kg Michael Donoghue (St Michaels Athy) (Gold)
50kg Jason Nevin (Olympic Mullingar)
52kg Donagh Keary (Rathfriland)
54kg Mustafa Edris (Monkstown, Dublin)
57kg Martin McCullough (Gleann) (Bronze)
60kg Michael McCarthy (Mayfield)
63kg Thomas King (Ratoath)
66kg Taylor Guiney (Drimnagh) (Bronze)
70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ballyhaunis) Cpt
75kg Mark Duffy (Charlestown)
80kg John Ward (Brosna)
80+kg Thomas McDonnell (Docklands)
IABA President: Dominic O’Rourke
Team managers: Eugene O’Kane Snr and Anne Murphy
Coaches: Billy McClean, James Doyle, Gerard McDaid, John Gallagher, Aoife Hennigan
R&J: Loughlin Gannon