World Elite champion Michael Conlan (red) in action
The Ireland boxing squad once again led the way for Irish sport this year with ten medals – five gold – at three majors tournaments.
The squad have been shortlisted for the RTE Sports Team of the Year Awards on Saturday night. The winner will be chosen by public vote.
Team Ireland appeared in three World and European tournaments in 2015 and commanded top four positions in the medals table on each occasion.
Michel Conlan, who has been nominated for the RTE Sports Person of the Year, Joe Ward and Michael O’Reilly grabbed the headlines after taking home four gold, one silver and one bronze between them.
Rio 2016 Olympian Conlan secured double gold at the Europeans and Worlds, becoming the first Irishman to finish on top of an AIBA World Elite podium into the bargain. He also collected the Best Boxer Award at the European Championships. The double lifted Conlan to No. 1 in the World in the bantamweight rankings.
Ward won gold and silver – and a place at the Rio Olympics – at the European and World Championships, and O’Reilly bagged gold and bronze at the European Games and World Championships.
The peerless Katie Taylor won gold at the European Games.
The 2015 World Men’s Championships marked Ireland’s most successful campaign at this level since the inaugural tournament in Havana in 1974. The three medals, courtesy of Conlan, Ward and O’Reilly, surpassed Ireland’s previous best at the 2013 Worlds in Kazakhstan where Jason Quigley and Joe Ward won silver and bronze.
Tune into RTE One on Saturday night. Broadcast begins at 9.40pm.
Irish Boxing Team Medal Haul
1st European Games, Baku, Azerbaijan (June)
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray) (gold)
75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise) (gold)
49kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s) (silver)
60kg (Sean McComb (Holy Trinity (bronze)
Best Female Athlete (all sports) Katie Taylor
Ireland finish in third position in medals table. 40 nations compete.
European Men’s Elite Championships, Samokov, Bulgaria (August)
56kg Michael Conlan (Clonard) (gold)
81kg Joe Ward (AIBA Pro Boxing/Moate) (gold)
64kg Dean Walsh (St Josephs) (bronze)
Best Boxer: Michael Conlan
Joe Ward becomes first Irish male boxer (Katie Taylor has won six) to win two European Elite gold medals.
Ireland finished in 2nd spot in medals table. 44 nations compete.
World Men’s Elite Championships and Olympic Qualifiers, Doha, Qatar (October)
56kg Michael Conlan (Clonard) (gold)
81kg Joe Ward (AIBA Pro Boxing/Moate) (silver)
75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise) (bronze)
Michael Conlan becomes first Irish male boxer (Katie Taylor has won five) to win AIBA World Elite gold
Ireland finish in 4th spot in medals table. 73 nations compete.
Ward qualifies for Olympics in Doha. Conlan had already qualified for Olympics through World Series of Boxing, but met the qualification standard again in Doha.