IRELAND’S DAINA MOOREHOUSE, Lisa O’Rourke and Jon McConnell have qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Elite Championships.
Moorehouse claimed a 3-2 victory in the 51kg category in Sofia, while O’Rourke won all rounds on all cards in the 80kg last-16 bout with Greece’s Vasiliki Stavridou, and McConnell prevailed 4-1 in 70kg at the expense of Poland’s Damian Durkacz.
Shannon Sweeney was also in action for Ireland today in Bulgaria, where she was defeated 4-1 in the 48kg division.
The Paris Olympian Moorehouse defeated Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova, with the judges scoring the bout 29:28; 29:28; 27:30; 28:29; 29:28 in Moorehouse’s favour, meaning she is just one win away from a medal.
Moorehouse will next face World and European Games bronze medallist, Laura Fuentes Fernandez of Spain. They previously fought each other at the 2025 World Boxing Championships, where Moorehouse was defeated on a 3-2 split.
QUARTER FINALIST!
Paris Olympian Daina Moorehouse has won through to the European Elite Championship quarter finals, with a 3-2 win over Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova.
The pair last met at the 2nd Olympic Qualifier in Bangkok in the battle for a quota place – Daina was also… pic.twitter.com/MngOVuGYb1
“I’m delighted to get the win,” she said. “It was a really tough fight. I think the first one’s always the hardest. In the first round, I think she was trying to counter me more and put the pressure on.
“Coming to the third (round), she put the pressure on, and it was getting a bit messy and tangly. But I was up from the first two, so delighted.
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“I knew she was going to fly in the third round, because she was two rounds down. So, I expected it, but it was really messy. I got tangled in the ropes at one stage, and I got a count. But I was still up, so I was delighted.
“When I knew I was fighting the Bulgarian, I knew I boxed her to qualify for the Olympic Games, so I suppose it was nice kind of knowing what she’s like instead of going in not having a clue.”
An excellent performance in a testy bout, but not to be for Team Ireland’s Shannon Sweeney in her European Elite Championship 48kg Last 16 contest.
She boxed Italy’s Chiara Mosetti, and won the first round 4-1, before receiving a count in the second in a contest fought largely… pic.twitter.com/W2adN63p95
Meanwhile, Sweeney came up short against Italy’s Chiara Mosetti. The St. Anne’s BC Mayo fighter won the first round 4-1, before receiving a count in the second in a contest fought largely at close distance.
The judges scored the bout: 28:29; 28:29; 29:28; 28:29; 27:30 in favour of Mosetti.
Next up for O’Rourke in her quarter-final is England’s Emily Asquith, who was a silver medallist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships.
“It’s been just over a year since I’ve been in the ring and it’s hard work to get back fit,” she said afterwards.
“To get a win under my belt in my first bout, it’s happy days.
“I didn’t expect to get this competition in this year, so I was really just taking it as a bonus. When you go through an injury like that, you really don’t take these moments for granted.”
Finally, McConnell, a Commonwealth Games champion, triumphed 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 28:29 against a Tokyo Olympian and the 2026 World Boxing Cup Brazil champion.
In Monday’s evening session, the 23-year-old will be boxing for a medal against Gabriele Guidi Rontani of Italy, the reigning Mediterranean Games champion and a World Boxing Cup China bronze medallist at 75kg.
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Irish trio reach European quarter-finals
LAST UPDATE | 19 hrs ago
Updated at 19.25
IRELAND’S DAINA MOOREHOUSE, Lisa O’Rourke and Jon McConnell have qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Elite Championships.
Moorehouse claimed a 3-2 victory in the 51kg category in Sofia, while O’Rourke won all rounds on all cards in the 80kg last-16 bout with Greece’s Vasiliki Stavridou, and McConnell prevailed 4-1 in 70kg at the expense of Poland’s Damian Durkacz.
Shannon Sweeney was also in action for Ireland today in Bulgaria, where she was defeated 4-1 in the 48kg division.
The Paris Olympian Moorehouse defeated Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova, with the judges scoring the bout 29:28; 29:28; 27:30; 28:29; 29:28 in Moorehouse’s favour, meaning she is just one win away from a medal.
Moorehouse will next face World and European Games bronze medallist, Laura Fuentes Fernandez of Spain. They previously fought each other at the 2025 World Boxing Championships, where Moorehouse was defeated on a 3-2 split.
“I’m delighted to get the win,” she said. “It was a really tough fight. I think the first one’s always the hardest. In the first round, I think she was trying to counter me more and put the pressure on.
“Coming to the third (round), she put the pressure on, and it was getting a bit messy and tangly. But I was up from the first two, so delighted.
“I knew she was going to fly in the third round, because she was two rounds down. So, I expected it, but it was really messy. I got tangled in the ropes at one stage, and I got a count. But I was still up, so I was delighted.
“When I knew I was fighting the Bulgarian, I knew I boxed her to qualify for the Olympic Games, so I suppose it was nice kind of knowing what she’s like instead of going in not having a clue.”
Meanwhile, Sweeney came up short against Italy’s Chiara Mosetti. The St. Anne’s BC Mayo fighter won the first round 4-1, before receiving a count in the second in a contest fought largely at close distance.
The judges scored the bout: 28:29; 28:29; 29:28; 28:29; 27:30 in favour of Mosetti.
Next up for O’Rourke in her quarter-final is England’s Emily Asquith, who was a silver medallist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships.
“It’s been just over a year since I’ve been in the ring and it’s hard work to get back fit,” she said afterwards.
“To get a win under my belt in my first bout, it’s happy days.
Finally, McConnell, a Commonwealth Games champion, triumphed 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 28:29 against a Tokyo Olympian and the 2026 World Boxing Cup Brazil champion.
In Monday’s evening session, the 23-year-old will be boxing for a medal against Gabriele Guidi Rontani of Italy, the reigning Mediterranean Games champion and a World Boxing Cup China bronze medallist at 75kg.
Additional reporting by Paul Fennessy
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