(NOV 22) Less than a year after they won Elite belts, eight boxers will be back between the ropes tonight looking to claim their second titles of 2019 at Dublin’s National Stadium. 

Regan Buckley, Nell Fox, Leona Houlihan, Patryk Adamus, Ken Okungnowa, Christina Desmond, Michaela Walsh and Thomas O’Toole are aiming for a double.

All eight won Elite titles last February. A 2nd 2019 Irish Elites is because of the forthcoming Olympic qualifiers for Tokyo 2020. Good news for fans of Irish boxing and indeed boxing, in general, is that Irish broadcaster TG4 is screening the finals live on TV (Irish viewers only) but also providing coverage of all 17 scheduled finals on TG4 'YouTube'.

It promises to be a huge night of Irish boxing with the best boxers in the World, Europe and Ireland bidding for glory.

The broadcast will be presented by Micheál Ó Domhnaill with commentary and analysis by Andy Lee, Kenneth Egan, Darren O’Neill, who have won almost 20 Elite belts between them, former World Champion Kellie Harrington (herself injured at this time), and Sean Bán Breathnach

Current European Elite and European U/22 champions Aoife O’Rourke and Amy Broadhurst, who claimed the middle and light welter belts last time out, received walkovers in their respective weights at the second edition of the tournament of 2019.

The IABA is running the Elites for a second time this year in the run-up to the European qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 in London (March 13/23) and the final world qualifier in Paris (May 13/24).

Boxers have two shots at qualifying for the 32nd Olympiad and Paris marks the end of the line.

The next Olympic qualifier after that will be for the Paris 2024 Games, one hundred years after Ireland entered the Olympics for the first time at Paris 1924.



Tonight's show begins at 17.45 (Irish time) with the last bout around 23.30)

2019 Liffey Crane Hire National Elite Championships National Stadium Dublin

November 22

Finals (5.45 pm)

60kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) W/O
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) W/O
81+kg Naoise Finney (Ballybrack) W/O
49kg Ricky Nesbitt (Holy Family Drogheda) V Sean Mari (Monkstown D)
64kg Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa) V Ciara Ginty (Geesala)
81kg Nell Fox (Rathkeale) V Leona Houlihan (Crumlin)
60kg Barry McReynolds (Holy Trinity) V Brandon McCarthy (St Michaels Athy)
48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Annes) V Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry)
75kg Jason Harty (Rathkeale) V John Joe Nevin (Crumlin)
81kg Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles) V Emmett Brennan (Docklands)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown A) V Emma Agnew (Dealgan)
51kg Niamh Early (Ryston) V Ceire Smith (Cavan)
52kg Jude Gallagher (Two Castles) V Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s)
57kg Patryk Adamus (Drimnagh) V Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott)
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown Antrim) V Callum Walsh (Riverstown)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans) V Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)
63kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) V George Bates (St Mary’s Dublin)
91+kg Antoine O’Griofa (Celtic Eagles/Defence Forces) V Kenneth Okungbowa (Athlone)
54kg Zara Breslin (Tramore) V Sarah Haghighat (St Brigids, Edenderry)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield) V Daniel O’Brien (Defence Forces)



Irish boxing is proudly sponsored by Liffey Crane Hire