Kellie Harrington heralded her double Olympian status with a masterclass in her Paris 2024 last 16 bout against Alessia Mesiano of Italy.

Mesiano is a World and European champion at 57kg, with a World bronze at 60kg. Kellie, however, dominated the bout throughout, switch-hitting from the backfoot to maintain control and distance. She won all rounds on all judges scorecards: 30:37; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27.

Asked if she had any worries about her form after suffering a rare loss at European Championships this year Kellie said “None! You have to fall to get back up. If you didn’t get back up you may as well stay down. It’s only a loss if you don’t learn from it and hopefully I learned from it.

“It felt good to get going, it’s always good to get a win, I’m just happy to be here and get out and compete. It’s great to have people out there cheering me and great to see the Irish flag floating around the stadium there, it’s absolutely class.

“Our (boxing) team has put in so much work to get out here, every single one of them bit down and dug deep, and they will continue to do that in the tournament. 

Kellie will box her Quarter Final 2023 World silver medalist, Angie Paola Valdes Pana of Colombia. That contest takes place at 5.55pm on Wednesday evening.

Day Four – July 30th

One Team Ireland boxer in action on Tuesday. 54kg Jennifer Lehane received a bye and contests a Last 16 bout against Tokyo Olympian, China’s Chang Yuan. The 27 year old southpaw is a 2023 Asian Games silver medalist, and won gold at this year’s Strandja.

Jenny will formally become an Olympian when she steps on to the field of play to contest Bout 2 of Tuesday’s morning session, at 11:36am, Irish time.

All daily schedules and results are available here

Tournament Schedule

Boxing from July 27th to August 3rd takes place at the North Paris Arena. Boxing from August 4th to 10th takes place at Roland Garros. August 5th is a rest day at the tournament.

Morning sessions begin at 10am, Irish time.

Afternoon sessions begin at 2.30pm, Irish time

Evening sessions begin at 7pm, Irish time.

July 27th Round of 32: W54kg, W60kg, M63.5kg & M80kg.

July 28th Round of 32: W50kg, W66kg, M57kg, M71kg, M92kg % M92+kg.

July 29th Last 16 in M63.5, 92 & 92+kg, and W60kg

July 30th Last 16 in M51 & M80kg, and W54 & W57kg

July 31st Last 16 M57 & 71kg, and W75kg, plus QF of W60kg

August 1st QF of M63.5 & 92kg, last 16 W50 & 66kg, QF of W54kg

August 2nd QF of M51, 80 & +92kg, and last 16 W57kg

August 3rd QF of M57 & 71kg, and W50 & 66kg, SF of W60kg

August 4th SF of M51, 63.5, 80 & 92kg,QF W57 & 75kg, SF of W54kg

August 5th rest day

August 6th SF of M71kg, SF W50 & 66kg, and W60kg final

August 7th SF M92+kg & W57kg, Finals of M63.5 & 80kg

August 8th SF M57kg & W75kg, Finals M51kg and W54kg

August 9th Finals of M71 & 92kg, Finals of W50 & 66kg

August 10th Finals of M57 & 92+kg, Finals of  W57 & 75kg

Draws

All draws are available here and here

Watch

RTE will have significant coverage of the Games on RTE 2, RTE Player, online, on Radio and through the RTE app. Full details are available here

The full Games streaming service for all sports is here:

https://www.discoveryplus.com/ie/olympics/sport/boxing

Team Ireland Boxing

Athletes:

Kellie Harrington (Dublin) Women’s 60kg

Aidan Walsh (Belfast) Men’s 71kg

Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) Women’s -75kg

Daina Moorehouse (Bray) Women’s -50kg

Dean Clancy (Sligo) Men’s 63.5kg

Grainne Walsh (Tullamore) Women’s -66kg

Jude Gallagher (Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone) Men’s -57kg

Jennifer Lehane (Ashbourne, Co. Meath) Women’s -54kg

Jack Marley (Sallynoggin, Dublin) Men’s -92kg

Michaela Walsh (Belfast) Women’s -57kg

Staff:

Tricia Heberle – Performance Director & Team Leader

Zauri Antia – Head Coach

Damian Kennedy – Coach

Lynne McEnery – Coach

James Doyle – Coach

Jim Clover – Doctor

Lorcan McGee – Physio

Paula Fitzpatrick – Physiologist

IABA is preparing to tender for the provision of an online system which clubs will use to affiliate, submit competition entries, book courses and other club-related business. IABA intends for any new system to evolve beyond the uses of the current online system.

IABA is inviting two suitably qualified members to sit on the CRM Working Group. The Working Group’s primary goal will be to set out how any new system will meet the needs of boxing clubs, with a key focus on ease of use. This Working Group may:

1. Conduct a SWOT analysis of the existing system
2. Engage in research on CRMs in use in similar or comparable settings
3. Input in to the pre-tender, tender and post-tender processes.
4. Have input in to the implementation and roll-out of any new system.

Members wishing to express their interest in being part of the CRM Working Group should:

1. Be a member of a successfully affiliated club for the current season
2. Be named in their club’s Blocworx portal
3. Be in good standing and, fulfill any two of the following:

              Be a sport administration

              Have professional experience in use of CRM systems

              Have professional IT or UX experience

Members considering expressing interest to be part of the CRM Working Group are advised:

1. Meetings will not begin until September
2. The Working Group is expected to meet up to twice monthly, or as otherwise required, for a period of 6 months.
3. An indicative meetings calendar will be provided
4. Membership of the Working Group may involve limited international travel

Expressions of Interest may be made here: https://shout.com/s/Xkjx92Fu

The closing date is 5pm on Tuesday, August 6^th.

The Team Co-Captains for Ireland’s European School Championship team have been named – they are 51kg Ella Archbold of Ballybrack BC and 57kg Michal Mullaney of Claremorris Boxing Club.

29 boxers have been named in the Ireland team to contest the 2024 European Championships, taking place in Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina from August 1st to 10th.

The upcoming championships will be the 21st iteration of this tournament. The first Europeans, for male boxers 13 and 14 years old, was held in Rome, Italy in 2003. The most successful team was Turkey, who went home with six gold medals. Second place went to Russia, with three champions, while Ireland, Italy, Azerbaijan and England had one gold medal each.

The first EUBC Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships was held in Albena, Bulgaria in 2018. Fifteen years after the inaugural Schoolboys Championships, 12 girls were crowned European Champions. They fought in weight categories between 36 and 70 kilograms. The best girls’ team was Russia, with six gold medals, Ireland won three gold medals, while Bulgaria, Italy and England had one champion each.

Team Ireland came home from the 2023 European School Championships in Slovenia with 3 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze medal – along with the 3rd place finish in the medals table. 32 federations competed in the tournament. In all, 380 boxers contested the tournament. Ukraine topped the medals table with 20, followed by England, with 12. Team Ireland had the largest women’s team, of 12 boxers, and the joint second-largest men’s team, of 14 boxers.

Tournament Schedule

Team Ireland

36kg Danielle Smithers (Swords)

38kg Kayla Harris (St Monicas)

40kg Alanna Berry (Crumlin)

42kg Kenia Flood Prado (Glasnevin)

44kg Alannah Murphy (Crumlin)

46kg Aleigha Murphy (Crumlin)

48kg Maggie McDonagh (Mullingar Elite)

51kg Ella Archbold (Ballybrack) Team Co-Captain

54kg Vanessa Doyle (Templemore)

57kg Ruth Dossen (Olympic C)

60kg Roisin Hegarty (Illies GG)

64kg Robin O’Reilly (Monkstown D)

70kg Ellie May Lawlor (Brian Dillons)

40kg Rylee Finn (St Nicholas)

42kg Emmet Shields (Glasnevin)

44kg Sean Kelly (St Abbans Kilmyshall)

46kg Jack Jones (Sacred Heart D)

48kg Christy Joyce (Olympic L)

50kg Francis Maughan (Olympic C)

52kg Connor Lowry (East Down)

54kg Tadhg Brennan Tansey (Baldoyle)

57kg Michael Mullaney (Claremorris) Team Co-Captain

60kg Ruairi Walker (St John Bosco A)

63kg Jamie Herbert Jacob (Kilcullen)

66kg Charlie Dixon (Enniscorthy)

70kg Dominic Barrett (Titans)

75kg Ethan Duffy (Aglish)

80kg Noel Martin (West End)

90kg Michael J McDonagh (Tredagh)

Team Managers:

Stephen Connolly & Jennifer O’Sullivan Coffey

Team Ireland’s Jack Marley has made his Olympic debut, and won the chance to box for a Paris 2024 medal in the process.

Jack, who’s the first Team Ireland heavyweight to qualify for a Games since Cathal O’Grady at Atlanta 1996, was seeded 7th in his weight.

He opened with a very high tempo against Poland’s Mateusz Bereznicki, who, at 6’6″, had a significant height advantage over the Dubliner. Jack made little of it, and maintained his pace, throughout, claiming the first two rounds 4-1. Round 3 was all about bout management, and the final score was a 4-1 win for Jack – Judges scored the bout 30: 27; 30:27; 30:27; 29:28; 28:29.

Jack says “It was my Olympic boxing debut, I knew I had to start as I mean to go on and that’s what I did. He was actually a different fighter than when I fought him last, he was much more on the back foot this time. Last time he was trying to meet me. He was using his distance this time so every step I took, he was taking two back so I had to adapt and that’s why I upped the pace, it worked well. I got told ‘have no regrets!’ about two minutes before I stepped into the ring and I’ll aways remember that.”

Asked about the pressure now of being within one win of making an Olympic podium Marley stressed: “I was one fight away this morning because if I lost I wasn’t getting anywhere near that podium. Each fight’s the same, it’s the same as an Olympic qualifier. If I lose I’m out.”

Jack will box for an Olympic medal against , 2022 Asian Games gold medalist Tajikistan’s Davlat Boltaev in Thursday’s Evening Session. He’ll be in the ring at 21.08

Tokyo bronze medalist, Aidan Walsh, became a double Olympian as soon as he stepped in to the field of play to contest his Round of 32 bout against home boxer, Makan Traore. The crowd was vocally hostile during Aidan’s ringwalk, and maintained that hostility throughout the bout.

Aidan was deducted a point in the final round, but, having had the second round awarded against him, the result was foregone. The final score was: 29-27; 29-27; 28-28; 29-27; 29-27.

Aidan says “When you win the first round so clearly you just keep doing what you’re doing and it just usually goes for you. I know I got a warning in the third, I don’t really know why because I’ve been doing that all my career, hitting and holding. Usually you get a few cautions before you get a proper warning, but the referees seem to be clamping down on that in the last few months. With characteristic grace he added: “I’m just incredibly grateful to be here, my aim isn’t always to medal, it’s to enjoy the process and I’ve really enjoyed my time here in the village, much more than my last experience in Tokyo and it’s just a privilege to be here.”

66kg Grainne Walsh, making her Olympic debut at Round of 32 stage, came out the wrong side of a 4-1 split in her contest with Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary, which included an R2 point deduction for the Hungarian. This was a tempestuous bout, with numerous warnings for holding. The first round was a 3-2 split to Hamori; the second went 5-0 to the Hungarian and the The final score was: 27-29; 28-28; 29-29; 27-28; 28-28.

Grainne was characteristically gracious “I’m obviously bitterly disappointed. I just feel like I didn’t get a flow at all. I’m a fighter that relies very much on getting into my flow and using my reflexes and stuff. Anytime I got close she was leaning on me. I was trying to set my hands free. “I’m not blaming her for it. She did what she had to do to win the fight. I’m just frustrated,” 

“Obviously there was the points deduction in the second round but it didn’t really change much. Huge effort went into preparing for this. My coach has put in huge work with me and so much trust me. The Olympics comes around once every four years, so it’s a shame how it turned out but I’m very proud of myself for getting this far. I’m tremendously proud to be able to call myself an Olympian forever,  just disappointed that I didn’t get to show the best version of myself.”

Day Three – July 29th.

One Team Ireland boxer is in action on Monday – defending lightweight Olympic champion, Kellie Harrington.

She takes on Italy’s Alessia Messiano in the Afternoon Session, after the Italy secured victory on Saturday over Turkey’s Gizem Ozer. That’s a Last 16 bout.

Harrington and Messiano have met once before, at an Ireland V Italy dual nations at University of Ulster, Jordanstown in April, 2021. Kellie was the 5-0 victor. Their meeting rate, in a European context, is low as Messiano spent the first 5 years of her Senior Elite career contesting at 57kg, and only moved up in or around 2019-2020. Kellie has come down, over the years, from 69kg, to 64kg and then 60kg. Messiano’s World gold, World bronze and European gold, were all won at feather (2016, 2014 and 2013, respectively). Her 2022 World bronze was won at lightweight.

Tournament Schedule

Boxing from July 27th to August 3rd takes place at the North Paris Arena. Boxing from August 4th to 10th takes place at Roland Garros. August 5th is a rest day at the tournament.

Morning sessions begin at 10am, Irish time.

Afternoon sessions begin at 2.30pm, Irish time

Evening sessions begin at 7pm, Irish time.

July 27th Round of 32: W54kg, W60kg, M63.5kg & M80kg.

July 28th Round of 32: W50kg, W66kg, M57kg, M71kg, M92kg % M92+kg.

July 29th Last 16 in M63.5, 92 & 92+kg, and W60kg

July 30th Last 16 in M51 & M80kg, and W54 & W57kg

July 31st Last 16 M57 & 71kg, and W75kg, plus QF of W60kg

August 1st QF of M63.5 & 92kg, last 16 W50 & 66kg, QF of W54kg

August 2nd QF of M51, 80 & +92kg, and last 16 W57kg

August 3rd QF of M57 & 71kg, and W50 & 66kg, SF of W60kg

August 4th SF of M51, 63.5, 80 & 92kg,QF W57 & 75kg, SF of W54kg

August 5th rest day

August 6th SF of M71kg, SF W50 & 66kg, and W60kg final

August 7th SF M92+kg & W57kg, Finals of M63.5 & 80kg

August 8th SF M57kg & W75kg, Finals M51kg and W54kg

August 9th Finals of M71 & 92kg, Finals of W50 & 66kg

August 10th Finals of M57 & 92+kg, Finals of  W57 & 75kg

Draws

All draws are available here and here

Watch

RTE will have significant coverage of the Games on RTE 2, RTE Player, online, on Radio and through the RTE app. Full details are available here

The full Games streaming service for all sports is here:

https://www.discoveryplus.com/ie/olympics/sport/boxing

Team Ireland Boxing

Athletes:

Kellie Harrington (Dublin) Women’s 60kg

Aidan Walsh (Belfast) Men’s 71kg

Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) Women’s -75kg

Daina Moorehouse (Bray) Women’s -50kg

Dean Clancy (Sligo) Men’s 63.5kg

Grainne Walsh (Tullamore) Women’s -66kg

Jude Gallagher (Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone) Men’s -57kg

Jennifer Lehane (Ashbourne, Co. Meath) Women’s -54kg

Jack Marley (Sallynoggin, Dublin) Men’s -92kg

Michaela Walsh (Belfast) Women’s -57kg

Staff:

Tricia Heberle – Performance Director & Team Leader

Zauri Antia – Head Coach

Damian Kennedy – Coach

Lynne McEnery – Coach

James Doyle – Coach

Jim Clover – Doctor

Lorcan McGee – Physio

Paula Fitzpatrick – Physiologist

Valiant Dean Clancy’s Paris journey has ended.

The Sligo man, who boxes out of Leitrim’s Sean McDermott BC, fell found of the dreaded 3-2 split in his opening bout, and Round of 32 contest at the North Paris Arena. This was a testy bout against a seasoned campaigner – Jordanian, Obada Alkasbeh. Alkasbeh is a three time Olympian, having contested to Round of 32 stage at both Rio and Tokyo. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games, and silvers at the Asian Championships in 2013 and 2019.

Dean set a very high tempo in the first round, but the judges found in Alkasbeh’s favour, 4-1. The second round was tigher, and the Jordanian was warned for hitting the Irishman while he was down, after slipping. The second round went 3-2 to Alkasbeh. A point was deducted from the boxer in red, in Round 3, after he repeated his second round infraction. Judges scored the bout: 27:29; 28:28; 29:27; 28:28; 27:29

Speaking to RTE Sport directly after his bout, Dean said “I knew going in it was going to be a tough fight pace wise. It just took me a round to settle. I thought I came into it the second round and I thought I did enough in the third round as well, I thought I caught more eye-catching shots.

“That’s the way it goes and I’ll be up cheering my teammates tomorrow, but I’m really disappointed.”

High Performance Director and Paris Team Leader, Tricia Heberle, says “All class from Dean Clancy – and a tough decision for him to take. But time is on his side to become a dual Olympian just like 4 of his Paris teammates. Incredibly proud of Dean”

Day 2: Round of 32, July 28th

Three Team Ireland boxers are in action on Sunday.

Tokyo bronze medalist, Aidan Walsh, meets home boxers, Makan Traore, in the 3rd bout of the morning session. He’s expected in the ring at 10:32am, Irish time. These boxers have never met before, although both contested the 74th Strandja Memorial Tournament.

66kg Grainne Walsh takes on Luca Anna Hamori, Hungary, in Bout 8 of the Afternoon Session, expected to begin at 4.20pm, Irish Time. These boxers have never met before, which is unusual in a European context, however, Grainne has changed weight throughout her career, from 69kg to 66kg, and Luca Anna began boxing at 64kg, before moving to 66kg.

92kg Jack Marley, seeded 7th in his weight by virtue of his European Games silver medal, meets Mateusz Bereznicki of Poland in Bout 3 of the Evening Session – around 7.30pm, Irish Time. These boxers have
met twice before – at 2022 EUBC European U22 Championships Quarter-Final, where Jack was the victory, and at the 2023 Usti nad Labem Grand Prix, when Bereznicki gave a walkover.

Sunday’s complete schedule is available here

Boxing Schedule

Boxing from July 27th to August 3rd takes place at the North Paris Arena. Boxing from August 4th to 10th takes place at Roland Garros. August 5th is a rest day at the tournament.

Morning sessions begin at 10am, Irish time.

Afternoon sessions begin at 2.30pm, Irish time

Evening sessions begin at 7pm, Irish time.

July 27th Round of 32: W54kg, W60kg, M63.5kg & M80kg.

July 28th Round of 32: W50kg, W66kg, M57kg, M71kg, M92kg % M92+kg.

July 29th Last 16 in M63.5, 92 & 92+kg, and W60kg

July 30th Last 16 in M51 & M80kg, and W54 & W57kg

July 31st Last 16 M57 & 71kg, and W75kg, plus QF of W60kg

August 1st QF of M63.5 & 92kg, last 16 W50 & 66kg, QF of W54kg

August 2nd QF of M51, 80 & +92kg, and last 16 W57kg

August 3rd QF of M57 & 71kg, and W50 & 66kg, SF of W60kg

August 4th SF of M51, 63.5, 80 & 92kg,QF W57 & 75kg, SF of W54kg

August 5th rest day

August 6th SF of M71kg, SF W50 & 66kg, and W60kg final

August 7th SF M92+kg & W57kg, Finals of M63.5 & 80kg

August 8th SF M57kg & W75kg, Finals M51kg and W54kg

August 9th Finals of M71 & 92kg, Finals of W50 & 66kg

August 10th Finals of M57 & 92+kg, Finals of  W57 & 75kg

Draws

All draws are available here and here

Watch

RTE will have significant coverage of the Games on RTE 2, RTE Player, online, on Radio and through the RTE app. Full details are available here

The full Games streaming service for all sports is here:

https://www.discoveryplus.com/ie/olympics/sport/boxing

Team Ireland Boxing

Athletes:

Kellie Harrington (Dublin) Women’s 60kg

Aidan Walsh (Belfast) Men’s 71kg

Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) Women’s -75kg

Daina Moorehouse (Bray) Women’s -50kg

Dean Clancy (Sligo) Men’s 63.5kg

Grainne Walsh (Tullamore) Women’s -66kg

Jude Gallagher (Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone) Men’s -57kg

Jennifer Lehane (Ashbourne, Co. Meath) Women’s -54kg

Jack Marley (Sallynoggin, Dublin) Men’s -92kg

Michaela Walsh (Belfast) Women’s -57kg

Staff:

Tricia Heberle – Performance Director & Team Leader

Zauri Antia – Head Coach

Damian Kennedy – Coach

Lynne McEnery – Coach

James Doyle – Coach

Jim Clover – Doctor

Lorcan McGee – Physio

Paula Fitzpatrick – Physiologist