Claire Grace and Katie Taylor will compete at the National Elites
Olympic champion Katie Taylor is set to have her first competitive outing since claiming gold at the inaugural European Games in Baku last June at the National Stadium in Dublin this month.
The five-time AIBA World Elite gold medallist has received a bye into the lightweight final at the Quick Park National Elite Female Championships and will meet either Clare’s Kayleigh Murrihy-McCormack or Tipperary’s Shauna O’Keeffe in the 60kg decider on November 27.
The Munster duo, both current and former Intermediate champions who have ten underage Irish belts between them, are slated to clash over four, two minute rounds on Friday, with the winner advancing to meet Taylor on November 27.
Taylor, who has won four Irish Elite belts on walkovers, is relishing the opportunity to box for an Irish belt for the first time.
“It’s well needed and I need to stay busy and get a few fights,” the Bray woman told the Irish Examiner.
“I always expect girls to enter and I’ve trained for a fight and trained for the last few months. The two girls weighing in are well up for a fight and it’s something that they’ve trained for all year.”
The women’s semi-finals and men’s preliminaries will be decided on Friday evening at the National Stadium.
Irish women’s boxing is proudly sponsored by Quick Park of Dublin Airport.
National Elite Championships
Women
November 20th
S/Finals (7.30pm)
48kg Donna Barr (Twin Towns) V Alexandra Kornaga (Carrickmacross)
54kg Elaine Harrison (Ardnaree) V Jade Corcoran (Crumlin)
60kg Kayleigh Murrihy- McCormack (Kilfenora) V Shauna O’Keefe (Clonmel)
64kg Shanice Just (Arklow) V Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone)
69kg Tina Donnelly (Corinthians) V Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
November 27th
Finals (7.30pm)
48kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigids Edenderry) V Winner
51kg Michaela Walsh (Holy Family GG) V Ceire Smith (Cavan)
54kg Dervla Duffy (St Brigids Kildare) V Winner
57kg Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) V Moira McElligott)
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray) V Winner
64kg Kelly Harrington (Glasnevin) V Winner
69kg Clare Grace (Callan) V Winner
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) W/O
81+kg Diana Cambell (Garda) V Maeve McCarron (Carrigart)