(FEB 23) Tonight is finals night at the 2019 IABA Elite Championships at the National Stadium and a feast of entertainment is in store for the ‘sell out’ crowd in the Stadium and watching at home and around the World on TG4.ie.  [Link to the Worldwide Live Streaming Coverage which you could add. All times mentioned are Irish times: 

This is an all important year for the former ‘amateur’ sport in most countries with Olympic qualifiers and World Championships on the horizon and for those in Europe, also the 2019 European games in Minsk.

The 2019 finals begin with a ring parade at 5.45pm (Irish time) followed by the first bout at 5.55pm.

The entire card will be broadcast live by TG4 on ‘YouTube’ and TV from the Stadium. TV coverage begins at 8.45pm (Irish). 

Chloe Fleck and Donna Barr get proceedings underway and defending super-heavyweight champion Dean Gardiner and Martin Keenan bring the curtain down on the 2019 edition of the flagship tournament of Irish boxing in the 75th and final bout of the Championships at the home of Irish boxing.

World Elite champion Kellie Harrington meets Jelena Jelic in an international bout in her first fight since winning gold at the World Elites in New Delhi last November.

Jelic, who ‘fought a gallant fight’ against Katie Taylor on her last visit to Ireland, on a Kanturk Boxing club programme held at the Mallow GAA Club, will be out to show that she is a much improved boxer since then and it should be a good work out for World Champion Harrington who has a walk over in the Irish Elites.

Highlights of the women’s programme include Michaela Walsh v Dervla Duffy, Christina Desmond v Grainne Walsh and Moira McElligott vs European U22 champion Amy Broadhurst whilst rising star Aoife O’Rourke takes on Chayanne O’Neill in the 75kg final – O’Rourke from the Castlerea club in Roscommon is certainly ‘one to watch’ for the future on the International circuit but O’Neill, who has moved up from 69kg,will provide worthy opposition.

Several ‘mouth-watering’ battles in the men’s event as always despite the absence through injury of Joe Ward, Brendan Irvine and Kurt Walker to name but none more so than at 69kg when ‘battle commences’ between Oughterard’s Kieran Molloy and Our Lady of Lourdes Limerick hope Patrick O’Donovan. Watch out for fireworks too when Gabriel Dossen (75kg) takes on Emmett Brennan of the local Glasnevin Club. In the battle of the Super heavyweights (91+kg) once more it is Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale). What a fight that should be to bring the evening’s programme to its conclusion.

Dominic O’Rourke, the President of the IABA, noted that there have been a few shocks so far – three male defending champions fell – and believes there could be a few more before the final bell tolls.

”The stage is set for what should be a very exciting night of boxing.

There’s a lot of very talented young boxers coming through and that is good to see and good for our sport. There have been a few surprises so far and I think we might see another few before the finals are done,” he said.

A number of individuals will receive Services to Boxing Awards in celebration of their enduring contributions to Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport.

LIFFEY CRANE NATIONAL MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SENIOR ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019

NATIONAL STADIUM DUBLIN, SATURDAY 23rd FEBRUARY

Finals (5.45pm)

48kg – Light flyweight – Chloe Fleck (Canal) V Donna Barr (Iliies Golden Gloves)

49kg – Light flyweight Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s) V Sean Mari (Monkstown Dublin)

75kg – Middleweight – Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) V Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone)

57kg – Featherweight – Michaela Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) V Dearbhla Duffy (Crumlin)

57kg – Featherweight – Christian Cekiso (Portlaoise) V Patryk Adamus (Drimnagh)

60kg – Lightweight – Dominic Bradley (Errigal) V David Oliver Joyce (Ballymun)

64kg – Light welterweight – Moira McElligott (St Michaels Athy) V Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)

52kg – Flyweight – Evan Metcalf (Hyland BA) V Adam Hession (Monivea)

75kg – Middleweight Gabriel Dossen (Olympic Galway) V Emmett Brennan (Glasnevin)

80kg – Light heavyweight – Leona Houlihan (Crumlin) V Lisa Browne (Aglish)

91kg – Heavyweight – Anthony Browne (St Michaels Dublin) V Kenneth Okungbowa Athlone)

51kg – Flyweight – Carly McNaul (Holy Family Golden Gloves) V Niamh Early (Ryston)

63kg – Light welterweight – James McGivern (St Georges) V George Bates (St Marys Dublin)

69kg – Welterweight – Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s) V Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)

81kg – Light heavyweight – Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles) V Tommy Hyde (Mayfield)

69kg – Welterweight – Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) V Patrick Donovan (Our Lady of Lourdes)

60kg – Lightweight – Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s) V Jelena Jelic (Serbia) (International bout)

91+kg – Super heavyweight – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale)

54kg – Bantamweight – Emma Flannery (Baldoyle) W/O

60kg – Lightweight – Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s) W/O

80+kg – Light heavyweight + – Nell Fox (Rathkeale) W/O