A Team Ireland squad to contest the nationally-calendared Monkstown Box Cup, taking place at the National Stadium Dublin, July 24th, 25th and 26th has been named.
As shared on July 3rd during the announcement of the Team Ireland team to contest the World of Havoc tournament,, arrangements have been made by Central Council for the creation of an Ireland Select team inclusive of the lighter-weight 2025 National Senior Cadet Champions not included in the World of Havoc team, as their weights are not available to contest, to box representing Ireland at an alternative event.
The boxers selected are from Derry (1), Dublin (2), Meath (1), Tipperary (1) and Westmeath (1). The team will be led by Peter O’Donnell of Raphoe BC, Donegal, and coached by Ralph McKay of St. Paul’s BC Antrim and Aoife Hennigan of Swinford BC, Mayo.
In excess of 600 boxers from 11 countries are cotesting Monkstown Box Cup: Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Finland, Ukraine, Mexico, Hungary, USA, Spain and Italy.
Additional information about the tournament is available HERE
Team Ireland
39kg Ryan Seery, Glasnevin BC Dublin
39kg Danielle Smithers, Swords BC, Dublin
42kg, Heidi Carolan, East Meath BC, Meath
44kg Rylee Finn, St. Nicholas BC, Tipperary
46kg Joshua Cairns, Oakleaf BC, Derry
44kg Louise Joyce, Olympic BC, Westmeath
Support Staff
Team Manager: Peter O’Donnell (Raphoe BC, Donegal)
IABA’s DEI Officer, Patrick Adejayan, is hosting a series of events celebrating diversity and inclusion within the boxing family. These evenings will share storytelling and lived-experience of boxing club leaders in each province on the D&I journey in their club.
Speakers will include: Gabe Cronnelly, Phil Sutcliffe, Lynda McGrath, Fergus Turner, Nicola Hayden, Paddy Dingle, Stephen Dixon and Shane Curran
Each evening will also explore, through an Irish Centre for Diversity workshop:
The facts and myths of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)
What D&I is – and what it isn’t
The benefits of D&I in sport generally, and within the IABA specifically
How D&I can be embedded at local/provincial levels
Potential D&I goals and how these might be achieved
How success can be measured – using both short- and long-term metrics, including data on current positioning and future goals
Workshop Dates & Locations – all events begin at 6pm.
Tralee Thursday, 7th August 2025: Benners Hotel Tralee, Upper Castle Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Booking is now open for IABA’s Coaching Teenage Girls online workshop.
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:
What we know about teenage girls in sport and the role of the coach
Inside the mind and body of teenage girls
The coaching environment
Opportunities beyond the workshop
Particulars
Date: Tuesday, 29th July
Time: 6pm – 9pm
Location: Online – Microsoft Teams
Cost: €10
Registration: via the Workshop section of your club’s Blocworx portal
Details of more online and in-person Coaching Teenage Girls workshops will be made available shortly.
Entries are now being accepted, via clubs’ Blocworx portals, to two competitions: the 2025 National U15 Championships (boxers born in 2011 and 2012) and the 2025 National U23 Championships (boxers born 2003 and 2006).
The entry period for both championships will run until 5pm on Friday, August 1st. The draws for both will be held on Tuesday, August 5th.
Advisory
Both Championships will run simultaneously. The U15s will be in the Main Stadium, the U23s will be in Ringside.
All entrants must hold a current up to date Irish passport, with at least 6 months remaining to expiry.
The Team Captains to lead Team Ireland at the World of Havoc Tournament in Orlando, Florida, have been named.
They are 65kg Jason Donoghue of Olympic BC, Mullingar and 70kg Cassie Henderson of Phoenix BC, Armagh. Both represented Ireland at the 2024 European Junior Championionships, and Cassie is a 2023 European Schools champion.
They’re among 25 boxers selected to represent Ireland at the tournament, in the first event in which Team Ireland has fielded a national team in the US in some years.
Sanctioned by USA Boxing, a founder member of World Boxing, World of Havoc is a Tier 1 event. Contesting this tournament was made possible by IABA clubs’ decision in April to also affiliate to World Boxing, on a dual member basis. World Boxing, which will run boxing at the LA28 Olympic Games, affirmed IABA as a member in May.
The team is comprised of 2025 National Senior Cadet Champions in 25 of the 34 weights contested in May’s championships. It includes boxers from 10 counties: Antrim, Cork, Dublin, Donegal, Galway, Laois, Tipperary, Tyrone, Westmeath, Wexford. The Head of Delegation is IABA President Anto Donnelly, while the team will be led by Team Managers National Registrar Stephen Connolly and Central Council member, Anna Moore. The coaches are Liam Cunningham, Saints ABC, Antrim; Valerie Hamilton, St. Francis, Limerick; Paul Simpson, Saviours Crystal, Waterford and Gus Farrell, Monivea BC, Galway.
The team includes European Schools medalists: Ruth Dossen (Olympic Boxing, Co Galway, 2024 gold), Aleigha Murphy (Ballybrack BC, 2024 silver), her sister Alannah (Ballybrack BC, 2024 bronze), clubmate Ella Archbold (2023, gold), Vanessa Doyle (Templemore ABC, 2024 bronze) Cassie Henderson (Phoenix ABC, Co. Antrim, 2023 gold and 2024 European Junior bronze), Kalib Walshe (Wexford CBS, European Junior bronze), John Ward (Monivea Boxing Club, 2023 bronze).
The team has been in Squad Training in preparation for this event at the National Stadium, and at Holy Family Boxing Club Drogheda, since early June. They depart for Florida on July 27th.
Arrangements are being made by Central Council for the creation of an Ireland Select team inclusive of the lighter-weight 2025 National Senior Cadet Champions not included in this team, as their weights are not available to contest, to box representing Ireland at an alternative event. Details, and the full team, will be announced in due course.
Draws & Schedules
Draws, daily schedules of boxing, and results, will be published on the tournament website, HERE. Three rings will be in operation throughout the tournament.
Watch Live
The tournament will be live-streamed by Parkway Productions. This is a PPV event, and can be watched and purchased HERE
Team Ireland
46kg Carys Mc Fadden, Dunfanaghy Boxing Club, Co. Donegal
80+kg William Heaphy Golden Gloves Boxing Club, Cork
Support Staff
Head of Delegation: President, Anto Donnell (Dealgan BC, Co. Louth)
Team Managers: National Registrar, Stephen Connolly (Ballymore Hollywood BC, Co. Kildare) & Member of Central Council, Anna Moore (St. Francis BC, Limerick)
Coaches: Liam Cunningham, Saints ABC, Antrim; Valerie Hamilton, St. Francis, Limerick; Paul Simpson, Saviours Crystal, Waterford and Gus Farrell, Monivea BC, Galway
