Ulster IABA has partnered with Sands UK to deliver an innovative new programme.

“Punching Through Grief”, which begins today, is being delivered by Ulster Club Development Officer, Paddy Barnes.

This is a 20 place, 6 week non-contact boxing training session specifically for bereaved mothers.

There is some evidence that physical activity may provide benefit for the physical health and psychological wellbeing of those who have been bereaved.

Paddy says “It’s wonderful to collaborate with Sands UK, and bring the benefits of exercise, movement and community to this very special group of women at a very difficult time for them and their families. I’m looking forward to training with them over the next six weeks.”

Sands say it is ‘delighted’ to be working with the two time Olympic bronze medalist and hopes to offer more of these boxing sessions with Paddy in the future..

About Sands

Sands is the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity and says “We are here to support everyone touched by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. Always.” Helpline – 0808 164 3332. Sands website is here

Team Ireland will return from the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool with three medals, following today’s thrilling quarter finals.

Double Olympian and four-time continental champion, Aoife O’Rourke is assured of at least a bronze. She was the 4-1 winner over fellow Olympian Sunniva Hofsted in her quarter finals. Judges scored the bout: 30: 27; 30: 27; 30: 27; 27:30; 30:27 Aoife will take on China’s Chengyu Yang in her semi-final in Saturday’s Afternoon Session. Speaking to World Boxing after her bout, the Castlerea woman said “It’s just about taking it one fight at a time. I am just grateful to have gotten that medal and we’ll push on in the next one and see what we can do.” And, she adds “To be here, to be selected by Ireland, is a great honour. The gameplan was just to keep the pressure and intensity there – and try and be clinical and smart with my punches. You can do the plan all you want on the pads and you feel great, but when you’re trying to implement it in the ring, it’s another story”

Patsy Joyce will also come home with at least a bronze medal. He was the 3-2 victor over Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov in his quarter final. Judges scored the bout 28:29, 29:28, 30:27, 28:29; 27: 30 The Westmeath man, who at 19 is one of the youngest members of the team, will box to change the colour of his medal in Saturday’s Afternoon Session, against Spain’s Rafael Serrano Lozano. Speaking to World Boxing, he says “I was the underdog. I was the underdog yesterday as well – but age is only a number. I came here, 19 years of age, the youngest one on the team, and I’m smashing them up.” And, he says, the cut he sustained in in Last 16 bout against Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez wasn’t an issue “Not a bother – I got a cut but we have the best doctor in the world, Jim. Shout out to Jim!”

And Offaly’s Grainne Walsh, contesting at 65kg, made it three from three. After a titanic battle, she was the 3-2 victor over Paris Olympics silver medalist China’s Yang Liu. Judges scored the bout 28: 28: 29: 27, 28: 28, 28: 28, 29: 27, reflective of a Round 2 point deduction for Grainne, and a count-back Grainne box her semi-final on Friday, Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeyeva

540 boxers from 66 federations are contesting these champions, the first in which men and women compete for World gold together. The competition is the biggest ever Olympic-style boxing event held in the UK, and includes 17 medalists from Paris 2024 and more than 30 boxers that competed at the most recent Olympic Games. It features action at 10 weight classes for men and women with 80 medals being handed out, including 20 golds.

Afternoon Session results are here; session results for the Evening Session haven’t yet been published.

Semi-Finals

Thursday is a rest-day at the tournament.

Semi Finals will be boxed throughout Friday, and in Saturday’s Afternoon Session.

Grainne will box in Bout 3 of the Evening Session, and will be in the ring at around 6.30pm – the schedule is available here

The schedule for Saturday, and Aoife and Patsy, hasn’t yet been published.released.

Watch

World Boxing has partnered with Eurovision Sport to broadcast the Championship. Coverage, available HERE. The championship website, where tickets are available for purchase, is HERE

Team Ireland

51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow. Daina is from Bray, Co. Wicklow.

54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Club, Dublin. Jenny is from Ashbourne, Co. Meath

57kg Michaela Walsh of Holy Family Golden Gloves BC Belfast.

60kg Zara Breslin of Tramore BC, Waterford.

65kg Grainne Walsh of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin. Grainne is from Tullamore, Co. Offaly

70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon

75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon. Team Co-Captain

50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast

55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath

60kg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway. Team Co-Captain

65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim. Dean is from Co. Sligo

70kg Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Glove BC Co. Donegal

75kg Gavin Rafferty of Dublin Docklands Boxing Club

80kg Kelyn Cassidy of Saviours Crystal BC, Co. Waterford

85kg Brian Kennedy of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry Co. Offaly

90kg Jack Marley of Monkstown BC, Dublin

90+kg Martin McDonagh of Galway BC

Support Staff

• Team Manager: Jon Mackey, National Performance Director
• Head Coach: Zauri Antia
• Coaches: Damain Kennedy, Lynne McEnery, Eoin Pluck, James Doyle and JP Delaney
• Doctor: Jim Clover
• Lead Physio: Rob Tuomey
• Performance Analyst: Alan Swanton
• Logistics Support: Sean Crowley, High Performance Manager

In a first for Irish Boxing, a 3-day series of coaching, youth mental health first aid, sports psychology, cuts & wraps, youth leadership and coaching teenage girls workshops.

BoxCon will take place in Swinford Co. Mayo, in collaboration with Swinford Boxing Club, from September 12^th to 14^th.

Swinford BoxCon is open to all – please note, however, that places on each workshop are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Calendar

Cuts & Wraps Course with Ian Gatt

Taking place at Swinford Boxing Club on Friday September 12th from 6pm to 10pm, this course has been shaped to combine effective methods of being an effective Wrap-person and Cut-person in both training and competition settings. It is delivered by Ian Gatt, GB Boxing’s Head of Performance Support. Ian has been a sports physiotherapist for over 25 years, leading the medical and science services for the Great Britain Boxing program.  The course curriculum is attached. Booking is via your club’s Blocworx portal and costs €10 per person.

Coaching Courses

1. Fundamentals: Assistant Coaching course takes place at the Gateway Hotel, Swinford, on September 13^th between 9am and 5pm.This is available for booking via your club’s Blocworx portal. A 70% discount is available for women participants, using the code 53WS

1. Level One: Club Coach course takes place at Swinford Boxing Club on September 13^th between 9am and 5pm. This is available for booking via your club’s Blocworx portal. Please note that Level One is a 22-hour long course, and will include online workshops on September 9^th and 16^th, and a second in-person day at the same location on September 20^th. A 70% discount is available for women participants, using the code WS284

Sports Psychology Workshop

Taking place at Swinford Boxing Club on Sunday September 14^th between 1pm and 3pm, this workshop is  hosted by Sports Psychologist, Richard Shanahan, who worked alongside the Boxing High Performance Unit in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This workshop is free of charge, and can be booked HERE: https://shout.com/s/CzLHcwkN

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Book HERE

This is a two-day course, in partnership with Mental Health First Aid Ireland, taking place at Cruinniu, Main Street Swinford F12 AN25 from 9am to 4pm on Saturday September 13^th and Sunday September 14^th. This course is free of charge.

This course teaches participants how to assist a young person who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves, using a practical, evidence-based action plan. This an evidence-based training programme.

Youth Leadership

This one day program on Saturday, September 13^th takes place at Swinford Court Digital Hub . It focuses on enhancing leadership skills, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities in participants aged 14-21. It aims to develop effective leaders within boxing clubs and communities. This course is free to attend, and booking is HERE: https://shout.com/s/oUkqc0l4

Coaching Teenage Girls

This in-person workshop will take place on Sunday, September 14^th at Swinford Boxing Club between 9.30am and 12.30pm. It is open to all coaches and focusses on retention of teenage girls, the psycho-social needs of teenage girls in sport, practical strategies to foster the coach/athlete relationship and the affect puberty has on the mind and body of teenage girls and how can coaches support this.​  The workshop has four sections:

1. What we know about teenage girls in sport and the role of the coach
2. Inside the mind and body of teenage girls
3. The coaching environment
4. Opportunities beyond the workshop

Booking is available here https://shout.com/s/WhDrX0mq

More Information

For queries, or additional information, please contact IABA Education and Training Officer, Nikki Foley, via nicola@iaba.ie

The IABA Ulster Branch is delighted to launch the Start Here Women’s Boxing Programme and is now open for Expressions of Interest.

To aid female membership growth, the IABA are giving 10 clubs across Ulster the opportunity to deliver a four-week Women’s boxing programme.

The aim of this programme is to encourage women and girls to take that first step into a Boxing club where they can learn new skills, meet new people and have fun while exercising.

This programme is funded by the Rank Foundation through the Start Here Programme. All successful clubs will be rewarded with £500 on completion of the programme.

Programme Guidelines & Expression of Interest

A third Team Ireland boxer has joined O’Rourke and Walsh in tomorrow’s World Boxing Championship quarter finals at the M&S Arena, Liverpool

55kg Patsy Joyce has won the opportunity to box for a benchmark medal. He contested his last 16 bout against Paris Olympics bronze medalist,  Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez Diaz. The Westmeath man had won the first round 4-1, and forced a standing count of his opponent in the second – as well as having a point deducted. The contest was ended by the Referee owing to injury in the second round, and the 3-2 decision was accorded to the Irish man:  19: 18; 18: 19, 19:18, 18: 19, 19: 18.

Team Ireland’s Lisa O’Rourke has bowed out of the World Boxing Championships on the narrowest of margins, a 3-2 split. She contested a highly physical, high tempo bout against 70kg No. 1 seed, Australia’s Lekeisha Pergoliti. Judges scored the bout 28:29, 29:28, 27:30, 29:28, 29:28.

Dean Clancy’s interest in the World Boxing Championships has ended. The Sligo man contested his last 16 bout against Lasha Guruli – the 5-0 decision went to the Georgian, despite some superb technical moments from Clancy. Judges scored the bout: 30:27, 30:27, 29:28, 29:28, 30:27. Guruli is the 65kg Paris Olympics bronze medalist, and a multiple medalist at World and European level.

Brian Kennedy leaves the World Boxing Championships at the Last 16 stage. He contested against Ukraine’s Danylo Zhasan at 85kg, and the 5-0 decision went to his opponent. Judges scored the bout: 30: 26, 30: 26, 30:25, 30: 26, 30: 26, reflecting a second round point deduction for the Offaly man.

540 boxers from 66 federations are contesting these champions, the first in which men and women compete for World gold together. The competition is the biggest ever Olympic-style boxing event held in the UK, and includes 17 medalists from Paris 2024 and more than 30 boxers that competed at the most recent Olympic Games. It features action at 10 weight classes for men and women with 80 medals being handed out, including 20 golds.

Quarter Finals

Patsy Joyce returns to action in Wednesday’s Afternoon Session in Ring B, (Bout 6, approx. 2.15pm) boxing for a medal against Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov. The Uzbekistani boxer, 11 years Patsy’s senior, has 4 pro-boxing wins under his belt. The Tokyo Olympian has claimed World, Asian Games and Asian Championships gold, as well as gold at two World Boxing Cups this year.

Double Olympian and 4-time continental champion, 75kg Aoife O’Rourke will also step between the ropes on Wednesday,  in the Ring B Afternoon Session (Bout 6, approx. 1.15pm), in search of a place on the podium. She’ll contest against Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad – a Paris Olympian and the only boxer, male or female, this year to win gold at all World Boxing Cups. Aoife won through to the QF stage following a resounding 5-0 win over Monika Langerova of the Czech Republic.

Paris Olympian, Offaly’s Grainne Walsh, will box for a medal against China’s Yang Liu in Wednesday’s Evening Session (Ring A, Bout 5, approx. 7pm). The Paris silver medalist at the weight. Grainne has recorded two wins to make it to this stage of the tournament: the first, a stylish 5-0 win over Slovakia’s Jessica Triebelova, following by a masterful performance over Mariana Soto Torres of Spain.

Wednesday’s schedule is available here

Watch

World Boxing has partnered with Eurovision Sport to broadcast the Championship. Coverage, available HERE. The championship website, where tickets are available for purchase, is HERE

Team Ireland

51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow. Daina is from Bray, Co. Wicklow.

54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Club, Dublin. Jenny is from Ashbourne, Co. Meath

57kg Michaela Walsh of Holy Family Golden Gloves BC Belfast.

60kg Zara Breslin of Tramore BC, Waterford.

65kg Grainne Walsh of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin. Grainne is from Tullamore, Co. Offaly

70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon

75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon. Team Co-Captain

50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast

55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath

60kg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway. Team Co-Captain

65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim. Dean is from Co. Sligo

70kg Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Glove BC Co. Donegal

75kg Gavin Rafferty of Dublin Docklands Boxing Club

80kg Kelyn Cassidy of Saviours Crystal BC, Co. Waterford

85kg Brian Kennedy of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry Co. Offaly

90kg Jack Marley of Monkstown BC, Dublin

90+kg Martin McDonagh of Galway BC

Support Staff

• Team Manager: Jon Mackey, National Performance Director
• Head Coach: Zauri Antia
• Coaches: Damain Kennedy, Lynne McEnery, Eoin Pluck, James Doyle and JP Delaney
• Doctor: Jim Clover
• Lead Physio: Rob Tuomey
• Performance Analyst: Alan Swanton
• Logistics Support: Sean Crowley, High Performance Manager