Ireland recorded two wins from three bouts on the first day of action at the 1st Olympic World Qualifier.

51kg Sean Mari, 92+kg Martin McDonagh and 50kg Daina Moorehouse were all in action today.

Martin McDonagh, who claimed three domestic titles in a 10 month period last year, is in action in Bout 12 of Ring A’s afternoon session, against the Dominican Republic’s Fernely Ali Feliz.

51kg Sean Mari, a 2023 European Games veteran, took on Romania’s Petre Cosmin Girleanu. The Tokyo Olympian turned pro in November 2022, and re-located to Mexico. He has 4 pro wins under his belt, most recently against Andre Rodriguez in February. Judges were split, 4-1, on the bout in favour of Girleanu. The final score was 30: 27; 28:29; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27.

Martin McDonagh, who claimed three domestic titles in a 10 month period last year, was in action in Bout 12 of Ring A’s afternoon session, against the Dominican Republic’s Fernely Ali Feliz. Feliz is a 5 time US champion, and, until declaring for the Dominican Republic recently, trained with the US National Team. Martin recorded a statement win, establishing a dominant leading hand jab from the off. Martin was the 4-1 victor on a scorecard of 30:27; 29:28; 29:28; 27:30; 29:28.

He next meets Turkey’s Yusuf Acik in the Afternoon Session on March 6th.

Head Coach, Zauri Antia, shared his assessment of the first session:

In the evening session, 50kg Daina Moorehouse, a quarter finalist in the European Games, took on World silver medalist, Vietnam’s Thi Tam Nguyen in Bout 4 in Ring B.

Daina controlled the bout from the first bell, counter-acting the height and long reach of her opponent with her ringcraft, punch-picking and speepd-power.

Daina dominated every round, winning each 5-0. The judges scored the bout 27:30; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30. She is back in action in the Round of 32 on Thursday, against Tayoni Cedeno of Venezuela

602 boxers from 113 countries have registered to contest the tournament – making it the third largest boxing tournament in history. As a result, the beginning of boxing has been brought forward by a day, to March 3rd. Three sessions of boxing will take place March 4th to 8th to accommodate the volume of competition required.

49 quota places are available. In all weights Ireland is contesting at the tournament, a last four finish will qualify for Paris. The Paris Boxing Taskforce, which is running the competition on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, has advised that boxers will box to quota – which means boxers will cease competing at the Quarter Finals stage where last 4 qualify.

Day Two – March 4th

54kg Jennifer Lehane, who contested the 2023 European Games, meets France’s Romane Moulai in the opening bout of Ring A’s morning session.

80kg Kelyn Cassidy takes on Greece’s Michail Tsamalidis in Bout 8 of Ring B’s morning session.

In the evening session in Ring A, 57kg Jude Gallagher meets Algeria’s Hichem Maouche, in Bout 7.

There is no afternoon session on Monday.

Programme

Session Times

The morning session begins at 10am, Irish time

The afternoon session begins at 2.30pm, Irish time

The evening session may begin at either 6pm or 7pm Irish time, see below.

There is no afternoon session on March 4th.

Tournament Schedule

Watch live

Olympics.com will stream all of the bouts, from March 8th, onward. It will not stream boxing from March 3rd to 7th.

Team

1^st Olympic World Qualifier Team:

50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow

54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin

66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin

51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin

57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone

71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast

80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford

92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin

Results

All drawsheets are available here

Session 1A results

Session 1B results

Session 2A

Session 2B

102 Boxers weighed in for the 2024 Defence Forces Boxing Championships, three national Elite Champions are currently serving members in the Defence Forces. Commandant John Moody says ‘the standard of boxing over the three (3) days was to a very high standard. “

The Championships this year saw the induction of Cpl Philip Sutcliffe (Founder and Head Coach, Crumlin BC) into the Defence Forces Boxing Hall of Fame, recognising his considerable contribution to the Defence Forces over 25 years of distinguished service.

Commandant Moody says “The Defence Forces Boxing committee would also like to acknowledge the support we received from Philip Rooney and all referees and judges. Current Elite Champion Cpl Aaron O’ Donoghue stopped his opponent Cpl Sean Benson in round three of an exciting encounter, O’ Donoghue also picked up Best Elite Boxer and looks forward to leading the Defence Forces team into International Competition in the near future. Pte Tiffany O’ Reilly picked up Best Elite Female Boxer and will be expecting to be in the mix in this years National Elite Championships. The Team Event went to the 27th Inf Bn, who were managed and trained by Cpl Sean Montgomery. “

Comdt. Moody adds”A special mention to Sgt John Molloy who continues to be the driving force behind Defence Forces Boxing. Comdt Brian Connolly of the Defence Forces Fitness and Sports Policy Section was very supportive and helpful in getting the championships up and running,

Ireland will open it’s 1st Olympic Qualifier campaign on Sunday, March 3rd, following today’s draw.

602 boxers from 113 countries have registered to contest the tournament – making it the third largest boxing tournament in history. As a result, the beginning of boxing has been brought forward by a day, to March 3rd. Three sessions of boxing will take place March 4th to 8th to accommodate the volume of competition required.

49 quota places are available. In all weights Ireland is contesting at the tournament, a last four finish will qualify for Paris. The Paris Boxing Taskforce, which is running the competition on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, has advised that boxers will box to quota – which means boxers will cease competing at the Quarter Finals stage where last 4 qualify.

51kg Sean Mari, 92+kg Martin McDonagh and 50kg Daina Moorehouse will all be in action on the opening day of competition.

Martin McDonagh, who claimed three domestic titles in a 10 month period last year, is in action in Bout 12 of Ring A’s afternoon session, against the Dominican Republic’s Fernely Ali Feliz. In the same session in Ring B, 51kg Sean Mari, a 2023 European Games veteran, takes on Romania’s Petre Cosmin Girleanu in Bout 8.

In the evening session, 50kg Daina Moorehouse, a quarter finalist in the European Games, takes on Vietnam’s Thi Tam Nguyen in Bout 4 in Ring B.

Tournament Schedule

High Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia, says “It is a great honour, and a remarkable achievement, to box for Ireland at this level, in the hope of becoming an Olympian. The preparations for this team have been excellent, and I believe in all 8 boxers and their abilities. There is a long road of four fights for our boxers to book their ticket to Paris, but they are very committed. I am proud to be here with them, and to do the business.”

High Performance Coach Damian Kennedy “This will be a tough competition, but every single boxer on this team is ready. They’ve put in the work, technically and tactically, in our training camps with Ukraine, Spain, France and Turkey, and in our training camp in Assisi in February. There is massive drive and focus in all of these athletes – they know what’s ahead, they know what’s at stake. They are all high performers and can’t wait to get in to the ring.”

Day One Programme:

The Paris Boxing Taskforce has also issued the programme for the second day of the tournament, Monday March 4th. 4 Ireland boxers step between the ropes.

54kg Jennifer Lehane, who contested the 2023 European Games, meets France’s Romane Moulai in the opening bout of Ring A’s morning session. 80kg Kelyn Cassidy takes on Greece’s Michail Tsamalidis in Bout 8 of Ring B’s morning session. In the evening session in Ring A, 57kg Jude Gallagher meets Algeria’s Hichem Maouche, in Bout 7.

High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle says “Preparations for this crucial tournament for these athletes has included a domestic super camp with Ukraine, a Men’s Camp with Spain & Ulster, a Women’s Camp with France, Spain and Turkey, a Heat Acclimatisation Camp in Turkey, a training camp with 25 other federations in Assisi, and ongoing boxing technical learning supported by Sport Science practitioners in the daily training environment.” Tricia adds “We would love to qualify the biggest team ever to represent Ireland – and we believe that is achievable”

5 Irish boxers have already qualified for Paris – reigning lightweight Olympic champ, Kellie Harrington, Tokyo Olympians Belfast’s Michaela Walsh (57kg)  and Roscommon’s Aoife O’Rourke (75kg); 63.5kg Dean Clancy (Sligo), and Dublin’s Jack Marley, the first Irish heavyweight in 30 years to medal at a Category A event. 

Session Times

The morning session begins at 10am, Irish time

The afternoon session begins at 12pm, Irish time

The evening session may begin at either 6pm or 7pm Irish time.

There is no afternoon session on March 4th.

Drawsheets

Watch live

Olympics.com will stream all of the bouts, from March 8th, onward. It will not stream boxing from March 3rd to 7th.

It’s a keynote day for Ireland on the Road to Paris – the draw for the 1st Olympic World Qualifier takes place in Busto Arsizio, Milan, Italy, from 4.30pm, Irish time.

Almost 700 boxers have registered to contest the tournament, and, as a result, the beginning of boxing has been brought forward by a day, to March 3rd. Three sessions of boxing will take place March 4th to 8th to accommodate the volume of competition required.

In all weights Ireland is contesting at the tournament, a last four finish will qualify for Paris. The Paris Boxing Taskforce, which is running the competition on behalf of the International Olympic Committee, has advised that boxers will box to quota – which means boxers will cease competing at the Quarter Finals stage where last 4 qualify.

Watch live

Olympics.com will stream all of the bouts, from March 8th, onward. It will not stream boxing from March 3rd to 7th.

Tournament Schedule

1^st Olympic World Qualifier Team:

50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow

54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin

66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin

51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin

57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone

71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast

80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford

92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin

Seconds Out: High Performance on the Road to Paris.

“We would love to qualify the biggest team ever to represent Ireland – and we believe that is achievable”; so says High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle, on the eve of the 1^st Olympic World Qualifier.

5 Irish boxers have already qualified for Paris – reigning lightweight Olympic champ, Kellie Harrington, Tokyo Olympians Belfast’s Michaela Walsh (57kg)  and Roscommon’s Aoife O’Rourke (75kg); 63.5kg Dean Clancy (Sligo), and Dublin’s Jack Marley, the first Irish heavyweight in 30 years to medal at a Category A event. 8 Irish boxers will vie to do likewise at the 1^st of two Olympic World Qualifiers.

This short film, a peek inside High Performance, is part of a series of shorts on Irish Boxing – Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing, commissioned by IABA and produced by Lowki Culture. It features a revealing inside look at HP, with Director & Olympian Tricia Heberle, Head Coach Zauri Antia, Coach Damian Kennedy and now double Olympian, Michaela Walsh.

Michaela says “High Performance, outside of the ring, has helped me massively. For me, High Performance is doing the small things right. It’s now always about training or performing, it’s doing the little things right”

High Performance on the Road to Paris delves in to performance analysis, coaching philosophy, technical & tactical development, High Performance culture, the daily training environment and preparations for Paris 2024.

Head Coach, Zauri Antia says “There are many factors there (in success). The best thing is culture. Culture comes from many things, from traditions, from home, from community. Culture is behaviour…Life is about a battle between positive and negative. And I know, only in positive state of mental strength, you can perform best”

High Performance Coach, Damian Kennedy says “We’ve always had a massive fighting spirit, and with the technical tactical aspect that we’ve brought to it, I think we’re on the right track to becoming the world’s number 1 boxing nation.”

About Lowki Culture:

Lowki are a creative content house developing, designing and producing digital stories with heart and mind. Our mission is to transform your journey of discovery and learning, making it a memorable experience. Led by seasoned experts, we bring you authentic, real-world stories with a little raw flavour!

IABA is proud to support clean sport with the release of the iBoxClean programme – this is designed to raise awareness of anti-doping in our sport, and provide learning and education opportunities for boxers, coaches, club support staff and parent/guardians.

Doping is contrary to the spirit of our sport. Every boxer, coach, club administrator, bout official, elected official, clubs and unit has a responsibility to ensure Boxing is free of doping.  Members are bound by this policy, and by the provisions of Rule 7.5 of IABA’s Rulebook

There are 11 anti-doping rule violations, of which almost half also apply to coaches, so it is vital that coaches go on the anti-doping learning journey with their boxers. More information on Anti-Doping regulations is available through Sport Ireland, here, and through WADA, here

IABA Anti-Doping Tutor, Bee O’Callaghan, shares an over-view of anti-doping

iBoxClean learning

Boxers, parents/guardians, coaches and club support staff can register for any one of the 13 iBoxClean anti doping workshops running in 2024 here

Month	Workshop 1	Location	Time	Workshop 2	Location	Target Group	Time
March	25th	Zoom	1pm	6th	Zoom	Coaches	7.30pm
April	29th	Zoom	1pm	17th	Zoom	Parents	7.30pm
May	27th	Zoom	1pm	8th	Zoom	Boxers	7.30pm
June	24th	Zoom	1pm	12th	Zoom	Coaches	7.30pm
July	29th	Zoom	1pm	10th	Zoom	Parents	7.30pm
August	25th	Zoom	1pm
September	30th	Zoom	1pm
October	28th	Zoom	1pm
November	25th	Zoom	1pm
December

Whilst some of the workshops have a particular focus on either boxers, parents or coaches, any member of any IABA affiliated club can attend any of the workshops.      

iBoxClean Ambassador, Jack Marley, shares his experience of in-competition Anti-Doping testing

Independent Anti-Doping learning

IABA recognises that the iBoxClean calendar may not align with everyone’s schedules, and is sharing this suite of independent learning resources, provided by Sport Ireland and WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency:

• Sport Ireland’s anti-doping eLearning tool
• WADA’s anti-doping eLearning for international athletes
• WADA’s anti-doping eLearning for national athletes
• WADA’s anti-doping eLearning for talented/pre HP athletes
• WADA’s anti-doping eLearning for coaches
• WADA’s anti-doping eLearning for support staff
• WADA’s anti-doping eLearning for parents.

The 2024 Prohibited List

The Prohibited List is a mandatory International Standard as part of the World Anti-Doping Program. The List is updated annually following an extensive consultation process facilitated by WADA. The effective date of the List is 01 January 2024, also available here

iBoxClean Ambassador, Kellie Harrington, on how she ensures her supplements comply with Anti Doping rules:

Supplements and Medication Checking

The Sport Ireland Medcheck and GlobalDro are the only ways for boxers to check that their medications meet Anti-Doping Standards

Therapeutic Use Exemptions

Find out more on TUEs, and apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption for certain medications here

Additional Anti-Doping Resources

Sport Ireland’s full suite of anti-doping learning, and information, is available here

WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s full suite of anti-doping learning and information is available here