Kellie Harrington and IABA President Dom O’Rourke tonight
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) celebrated a tremendous year at its Annual Awards Night at Dublin’s Louis Fitzgerald Hotel this evening.
Scores of awards were presented to mark a vintage 12 months for the sport which secured 43 medals in World and European Elite, Youth, Junior and Schoolboy/girl competition in 2018.
Anna Moore with IABA Secretary Art O’Brien tonight
Dublin lightweight Kellie Harrington claimed the Best Overall Boxer Award to compliment a year which saw her win World and European Elite gold and bronze, multi-nation silver and an eight Irish Elite belt.
Harrington’s performances at the World and European Championships, both of which yield AIBA ranking points, lifted her to No.1 in the AIBA World 60kg rankings. She’s also collected the Best European Female Boxer of 2018 Award in the Netherlands last month.
Kurt Walker returned to the top of the podium this evening. The Antrim bantamweight beat England’s current European Elite champion Peter McGrail in the EU final in Spain in November, while Amy Broadhurst and Aoife O’Rourke took home gold and silver from the European U/22 Championships.
Broadhurst, who claimed a second successive Irish U/22 belt last weekend, also reached the quarter-finals at the World Elites in New Delhi last November and is ranked No. 8 in the world at light-welter.
The Irish male and female European Junior and Schoolboy/girl teams secured almost 30 medals in Continental competition between them and also finished in the top five in the medals tables in both competitions, while Dearbhla Rooney maintained Ireland’s proud legacy of having medalled at every Youth Olympics since Singapore 2010 at Buenos Aires 2018.
Rooney also earned silver at the European Youths, a tournament which yielded gold for Daina Moorehouse.
Domestically, the Drimnagh BC and Olympic BC in Mullingar couldn’t be separated and shared the Best Club and Best Coaching Staff plaudits, while former IABA Presidents Breandán Ó Conaire and Nicky White were inducted into the IABA Hall of Fame.
Dermott McDermott and Ben McGarrigle received the Best R&J Awards and Mick Quigley and Johnny Geraghty were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards in recognition of decades of service to Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport.
The Outstanding Services Awards went to Anna Moore, Harry Robinson, Raymond Lee, Noel Burke snr., Simon Walsh and Eugene O’Kane.
“Last year was a fantastic year for the sport with medals won at every level from Elite down to Schools in World and European competition against some of the best in the world, said IABA President Dominic O’Rourke.
“Everyone involved deserves enormous credit for an incredible year in international competition. The Association is proud of the achievements of our athletes, coaches, clubs and staff both domestically and internationally.”
Michael O’Brien, President of the Cork Boxing Board, was MC at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel this evening.
(First two images courtesy of Michael Hade)
IABA Annual Awards 2018 Louis Fitzgerald Hotel February 1
Best Overall Boxer
Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
Best Male Elite Boxer
Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
Best Elite Female Boxer
Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
Best Male Senior Boxer
Danny O’Brien (St Bernadettes)
Best Female Senior Boxer
Courtney Daly (Crumlin)
Club of the Year
Olympic BC Mullingar/Drimnagh BC
Coaching Staff of the Year
Olympic BC Mullingar/Drimnagh BC
Award Winners
World and European Women’s Elite Championships
Gold & Bronze: Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
European Women’s Elite Championships
Bronze: Michaela Walsh (Monkstown)
European Union Championships
Gold: Kurt Walker (Canal)
European U/22 Championships
Gold: Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
Silver Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea)
Olympic Youths
Bronze: Dearbhla Rooney (Sean McDermott)
World Men’s and Women’s Youths
Bronze: Jude Gallagher (Two Castles)
European Men’s and Women’s Youth Championships
Gold: Daina Moorhouse (Enniskerry)
Silver: Dearbhla Rooney (Sean McDermott)
Silver: Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa)
Silver: Dean Clancy (Ballincarrow)
Bronze: Lauren Kelly (St Brigid’s)
European Men’s and Women’s Junior Championships
Gold: Ellie Mai-Gartland (Clonmel)
Gold: Lauren Dempsey (Ryston)
Silver: Sinainn Glynn (Cloghan)
Silver: Lisa O’Rourke (Castlerea)
Silver: Patrick Myers (Sligo)
Bronze: Leanne Murphy (Togher)
Bronze: Leah Gallen (Raphoe)
Bronze: Breda Quilligan (Rathkeale)
Bronze: Kaitlyn Doyle (St Brigids, Kildare)
Bronze: Kira Goad (Cashen Vale)
Bronze: Michael Donohoe (St Michael’s Athy)
Bronze: John McConnell (Holy Trinity)
Bronze: Barry O’Connor (Sliabh Lucra)
European Schoolboy/girl Championships
Gold: Yasmin Meredith (Glasnevin)
Gold: Kaci Crowley (Erne)
Gold: Winnie McDonagh (Neilstown)
Gold: Michael Faulkner (Northside)
Silver: James Donovan (OLOL)
Silver: Curtis Darcy (Callan)
Silver: Dearbhla Tinnelly (Clann Naofa)
Silver: Nasya McJin-Iglige (Clann Naofa)
Bronze: Katie O’Keeffe (Kanturk)
Bronze: Nora Jackman (Paulstown)
Bronze: Robyn Kelly (Ballynacargy)
Bronze: Robyn Murray (St Brigids, Kildare)
Bronze: John Fay (Swords)
Bronze: Tyler Meade (Kilnamanagh)
Referee/Judge Award
Dermott McDermott and Ben McGarrigle
Lifetime Achievement Award
Mick Quigley and Johnny Geraghty
Hall of Fame Award
Breandan O Conaire and Nicky White
Outstanding Services to Boxing Award
Harry Robinson (Antrim)
Raymond Lee (Connacht)
Noel Burke Snr (Dublin)
Simon Walsh (Leinster)
Anna Moore (Munster)
Eugene O’Kane (Ulster)