Dear Secretaries, Clubs & Members,
As 2025 draws to a close, I and Central Council would like to take this opportunity to reflect on an extraordinary year for Irish Boxing.
In April, Irish Boxing said a resounding Yes to constitutional reform, and to joining World Boxing – paving the way for LA 2028, while in October, member clubs voted to disaffiliate from the IBA. IABA boxers began contesting World Boxing events in September, competing at 5 benchmark competitions to date.
Our boxers have excelled on the World and European stage, thanks to the high standard and unrivalled commitment of club coaches in partnership with High Performance coaching via Central Council’s Coaching Commission and the National High Performance Unit. I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate every boxer who represented Ireland this year, their clubs and families while commending the boxers that won, between them, 42 benchmark medals from European U15 to World Gold for Castlerea BC’s Aoife O’Rourke.
Contributing to these achievements were the return of Internationals at underage and Elite level. Internationals are an important development opportunity for boxers, and we were delighted to welcome India, France, Austria, England and Hungary throughout the year to take part in dual nations and an U23 Round Robin. These events also enabled us to bring high quality international boxing to Derry, Belfast, Louth as well as Dublin, important showcases for our sport and our boxers. Central Council was also a position to broker international training camps for our European U19 and European U17 teams in “The Lion’s Den”, the GB Boxing Olympic Training Centre in Sheffield. This high-level preparation for both teams set them up for success and gave them valuable experience of life as High Performance athletes.
At National level, a staggering 15 competitions and national championships have taken place in 2025. The sheer number and operational quality of these tournaments is testament to the work of the Championship Committee, the R&J Committee and every competition official who gives of their time, including Stadium staff, to ensure these competitions can take place. Central Council also included an unprecedented 9 domestic Box Cups in the national calendar, to afford clubs as many competition and development opportunities for their boxers as possible. Central Council has previously shared the national calendar up to April, and will share the calendar for the remainder of 2026 as soon as is feasible.
Irish Boxing has had a highly positive year, including the appointment of CEO Gary Stewart, High Performance Director Jon Mackey and COO Clare McAuley, in tandem with the formation of Central Council’s vital operations committees and productive working relationships with clubs, county boards and provincial units. This high-level collaboration is vital for the development of our sport. There are exciting times ahead in 2026, including the resumption of the Four Nations tournament in June in Scotland, World Boxing Cups, the Commonwealth Games, the Youth Olympics and the culmination of IABA’s re-band project which began last September.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank and recognize, the thousands of people who give of their own time week-in, week-out to coach and lead clubs throughout the Association. You are the lifeblood of our sport and our community. Every day, you are changing lives and improving the futures of thousands of young people. Without you, without your time, knowledge and expertise, there is no IABA – and
on behalf of Central Council, I would like to wish you, your club and your family a happy & healthy New Year.
Warm regards,
Anto Donnelly
President, IABA