Joe O’Neill reports from the National Stadium, Dublin
IN WHAT IS ALREADY being described as the best tournament in some time, 25 Irish National Elite champions were crowned on an explosive night at Dublin’s National Stadium.
Holy Family Drogheda were the big winners on the night, bringing home four titles to Boyneside, but there were storylines throughout – not least the remarkable return of Dean Walsh, and world champion Amy Broadhurst’s gallant but unsuccessful welterweight assault.
Broadhurst’s move to welterweight has drawn massive attention, with the Dundalk southpaw’s World and European gold medals last year coming above her natural weight in the light-welter class — a non-Olympic weight. With Kellie Harrington ruling the roost at lightweight, the decision to move a further three kilograms north to 66kg was made.
Having overcome a late push to beat reigning champion Kaci Rock in last week’s semi-final, Broadhurst was faced with Gráinne Walsh in tonight’s decider. A recurring thumb injury has led to the Offaly boxer becoming something of a forgotten woman but, firing on all cylinders, Walsh has proven herself a violent puncher, winning European Games and EU bronze in the past.
Some may have expected Broadhurst to try stay on the outside but the pair traded heavy shots in the first, ‘Baby Canelo’ piercing through with southpaw backhands but Walsh landing plenty of her own hooks.
Broadhurst staggered her Midlands opponent at the start of the second but Walsh came firing back with uppercuts as the temperature rose in the famous venue. Establishing range and control, Broadhurst began to land eye-catching punches before being momentarily backed to the ropes as Walsh came on strong.
Pushing the action in the final round, Walsh looked to have Broadhurst rattled, getting through with two particularly huge shots but the Louth woman showed a champion’s heart to fight through to the bell, finishing well. It was not enough, though, and Walsh was awarded her third Elite title on a razor-close 3-2 split, jumping for joy at the pronouncement.
Already attracting interest from the pro game, a code switch could be next for Broadhurst who is insanely talented but caught between the rock that is Harrington and the hard place that is the welterweight division. For the resurgent Walsh, a hugely popular figure in Irish boxing, she will be thinking solely of Paris. Overtaken in the Tokyo race by Christina Desmond and having gone through injury hell, it’s something of a fairytale story – although it should be noted that light-middleweight world champion Lisa O’Rourke has stated her intentions to move down to the Olympic category. A broken thumb ruled her out here but a headache remains for the Irish selectors.
Streamed live on TG4’s YouTube channel, there may not have been the glitz and national attention that came around the turn of the last decade, but the field for these ‘Elites’ was considerably stronger than recent years, with major medallists spread generously throughout the running order.
The depth on show on the South Circular Road came following an IABA declaration that entry was required for consideration for the European Games in Krakow – an Olympic qualifying event – this coming June.
While not the only factor in selection, the high stakes were reflected on the night, the first Elite finals to take place in front of a crowd since late 2019, with jubilation and devastation on show in equal measure across the divisions.
Thirteen of these weights were Olympic categories and Tokyo gold medallist Harrington picked up her tenth Elite crown with a comfortable unanimous decision win over determined Tramore lightweight Zara Breslin – whose hand she sportingly raised following the conclusion of their one-sided bout.
Belfast Olympian Michaela Walsh also secured her tenth title and Roscommon’s double European champion Aoife O’Rourke claimed her fifth. Consistent medal-getter Walsh overcame the spirited challenge of Kildare’s Kelsey Leonard, prevailing unanimously at featherweight, while middleweight machine O’Rourke had too much for the game Aoibhe Carabine, dominating the decorated Mayo underage talent to win widely on points.
It was similarly decisive for Dublin heavyweight Jack Marley. The star of the last edition, the Monkstown youngster has since gone on to win gold at the European Under-22s and was too fast and strong for Galway veteran Patrick J Ward who was returning after ten years away from boxing. With Gabriel Dossen absent, Waterford’s World Championships quarter-finalist Kelyn Cassidy also retained his light-heavyweight title with a clever performance versus Jason Clancy of Sligo.
Paris-focused weight-shifting meant the light-flyweight division was perhaps the most medal-laden of any. Reigning flyweight champion Daina Moorehouse, a European Youth (U18) and Junior (U16) gold medallist, underlined her credentials with a breathtaking triumph.
Having defeated European minimumweight bronze medallist Shannon Sweeney in the quarters followed by World Junior silver medallist Niamh Earley in the semis, the Bray dynamo took on Caitlin Fryers for 50kg supremacy. Winner last time out, the Belfast boxer had a breakthrough 2022, claiming silver at the Europeans in Montenegro and was looking to further strengthen her position on the Irish team.
With big single shots, the physically-imposing Fryers landed the more telling punches early on but Moorehouse’s southpaw activity was keeping things close. Falling in the second and rolling her ankle, it looked as though Moorehouse would need to be withdrawn but the Enniskerry BC warrior elected to continue. Limping badly, she somehow rallied and enjoyed a strong third to take the verdict unanimously, hobbling to the stage to collect her prize.
A third Elite title at a third weight, Moorehouse will hope to finally get her chance at Elite level internationally. That said, double Commonwealth silver medallist Carly McNaul, who was forced to withdraw from her semi with Fryers, could still be a factor.
The story of the Championships was the return of Wexford’s Walsh. Winner four times before, the European bronze medallist had not been seen on a finals night since 2017, going through all manner of personal problems, including a spell behind bars, and coming out the other side.
Now 28, the nephew of former Irish head coach, Billy, stunned Olympic medallist Aidan Walsh in a tactical battle last night in the semi-finals, edging through on a split-decision to set up a decider with Belfast’s Jon McConnell.
The stylish Ulster youngster showed plenty in this light-middleweight final but was outmuscled by Walsh. The reinvigorated St Joseph’s/St Ibar’s fighter applied steady pressure and a mean left hook throughout, winning a 4-1 decision to cap a scarcely believable comeback.
Boxing in his first Elites and stepping down from lightweight where he won European Under-22 bronze, Paul Loonam took top honours at feather. Having defeated reigning champion Adam Hession in the semis, the Offaly man laid down a marker with a smart display. A repeat of a fight won by Purcell in a Portuguese multi-nations last month, it was nip-and-tuck here with the switch-hitting Loonam being that bit too cute. Runner-up last time, Kilkenny’s Purcell tried everything and had his successes but was beaten unanimously. A big win for Loonam, he will be in pole position for Poland but Tyrone tornado Jude Gallagher – the Commonwealth Games gold medallist who missed these championships through injury – may also come into the equation.
European Youth and U22 gold medallist Niamh Fay battled past the crafty Jennifer Lehane to further lock down her bantamweight berth. Winner at featherweight last time out, Ashbourne’s Lehane had shrunk herself down further here but the workrate of the Ballyboughal whirlwind was the difference in what was a scrappy affair.
Private Sean Mari of the 7th Infantry Battalion also brought a title back to the Monkstown club, blasting through Clepson Dos Santos in two rounds. Flyweight Mari dropped the Belfast teenager with a perfect left hook to the body in the first before putting him down twice more in the second with further bodyshots and the contest was correctly waved off.
Laurencetown’s Willie-John McCartan, boxing only a few years, was brave but no match for Galway giant Gytis Lisinskas who ended the fight in the second to bag his first Elite title at super-heavyweight, while the mouthwatering light-welterweight decider between Dean Clancy and Brandon McCarthy did not occur as the latter was forced to concede a walkover due to a deep cut suffered in the semi-finals last night.
Away from the Olympic divisions, there was still plenty of drama as boxers from all four corners of the island gave everything to try claim the highest fighting honour in Ireland.
European silver and Commonwealth gold medallist Dylan Eagleson roared onto the scene in 2022, coming seemingly from nowhere to take his place as one of the planet’s top bantamweights. Still only 19, the Bangor talent was expected to step up to the Olympic featherweight class but remained at 54kg where he cruised past Dublin-based Spaniard Jorge Rogla Castano.
Similarly eschewing a move to an Olympic category, European bronze and silver medallist Christina Desmond was too strong for Tiffany O’Reilly at light middleweight, with a fifth Elite title going the way of the Cork Garda.
Castlebar’s reigning light-heavyweight champion Bethany Doocey held off the challenge of 18-year-old Dundalk southpaw Dearbhla Tinnelly, who was competing in her first adult bout having won European gold and World bronze medallist at Youth level last year. At light-flyweight, Ricky Nesbitt also retained his title, the Dundalk man proving to be just that bit too smart for Belfast battler Paudraig Downey.
Balbriggan brawler Christopher O’Reilly beat talented teenager Joshua Olaniyan in a middleweight war – a result debated by many – then the classy Davey Oliver Joyce, cousin of his Olympian namesake, outpointed the young Jason Nevin in a lightweight thriller. Winning a fourth title for Holy Family, defending welterweight champion Eugene McKeever concluded a memorable night for the Drogheda club, squeezing past Cork’s Ryan McCarthy on a narrow 3-2 split.
In a clash of styles and one of the fights of the night, relentless Antrim flyweight Nicole Clyde outworked 2019 European Junior champion Chloe Gabriel to claim a split-decision win. Down at minimumweight, meanwhile, Nicole Buckley made it a St Carthage’s double, adding to Loonam’s title with a win over Dubliner Ciara Walsh for another debut triumph.
Shauna Browne-O’Keefe, who lost to Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington in the 2016 and 2017 lightweight finals respectively, sealed a brilliant comeback to top the podium at light-welterweight. The Tipp fighter was a clear winner over Dublin 18-year-old Winnie Christina McDonagh – a triple European underage medallist making her first foray onto the Elite scene.
Former Meath GAA, Leinster Rugby, and Ireland International star Judy Bobbett further proved her sporting prowess by taking the heavyweight title, powering through Wexford’s Shauna Kearney, while the Dublin-based Dmytro Oliynyk, a Ukrainian fleeing the ongoing war in his country, won the cruiserweight final on a walkover after opponent Kane Tucker withdrew due to a broken hand suffered last night.
Full Results (Olympic divisions in bold)
- 81kg: Bethany Doocey (Castlebar) beat Dearbhla Tinnelly (Clann Naofa, Dundalk) 5-0
- 48kg: Rickey Nesbitt (Holy Family, Drogheda) beat Paudraig Downey (St John Bosco, Belfast) 3-2
- 52kg: Nicole Clyde (Antrim) beat Chloe Gabriel (Mulhuddart) 3-2
- 92+: Gytis Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles, Galway) beat Willie-John McCartan (Gilford) RSCI2
- 63kg: Shauna Browne-O’Keefe (Clonmel) beat Winnie Christina McDonagh (Neilstown) 5-0
- 75kg: Christopher O’Reilly (Holy Family, Drogheda) beat Joshua Olaniyan (Jobstown) 3-2
- 81+kg: Judy Bobbett (Liberty, Bray) beat Shauna Kearney (Bunclody) 5-0
- 57kg: Paul Loonam (St Carthage’s, Tullamore) beat Sean Purcell (Saviours Crystal, Waterford) 5-0
- 54kg: Niamh Fay (Ballybougal) beat Jennifer Lehane (DCU) 5-0
- 60kg: Davey Joyce (Holy Family, Drogheda) beat Jason Nevin (Olympic, Mullingar) 4-1
- 48kg: Nicole Buckley (St Carthage’s, Offaly) beat Ciara Walsh (Smithfield) 4-1
- 54kg: Dylan Eagleson (St Paul’s, Belfast) beat Jorge Rogla Castano (Corinthians, Dublin) 5-0
- 60kg: Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) beat Zara Breslin (Tramore) 5-0
- 67kg: Eugene McKeever (Holy Family, Drogheda) beat Ryan McCarthy (Fr Horgan’s, Cork) 3-2
- 50kg: Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry) beat Caitlin Fryers (Immaculata, Belfast) 5-0
- 75kg: Aoife O’Rourke (Olympic, Galway) beat Aoibhe Carabine (Geesala) 5-0
- 71kg: Dean Walsh (St Ibar’s/Joseph’s, Wexford) beat Jon McConnell (Holy Trinity, Belfast) 4-1
- 63.5kg: Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott’s, Leitrim) beat Brandon McCarthy (St Michael’s, Athy) W/O
- 57kg: Michaela Walsh (Emerald, Belfast) beat Kelsey Leonard (Unit 3, Naas) 5-0
- 51kg: Sean Mari (Monkstown/Defence Forces) beat Clepson dos Santos (Holy Trinity, Belfast) RSC2
- 66kg: Gráinne Walsh (Spartacus, Tullamore) beat Amy Broadhurst (St Bronagh’s, Rostrevor) 3-2
- 80kg: Kelyn Cassidy (Saviours Crystal, Waterford beat Jason Clancy (Sean McDermott’s, Leitrim) 5-0
- 70kg: Christina Desmond (Dungarvan/Garda) beat Tiffany O’Reilly (Portlaoise/Defence Forces) 5-0
- 92kg: Jack Marley (Monkstown) beat Patrick Ward (Olympic, Galway) 5-0
- 86kg: Dmytro Oliynyk (Smithfield) beat Kane Tucker (Emerald, Belfast) W/O