(FEB 20) Kellie Harrington,
Michaela Walsh, Dean Gardiner, Grainne Walsh, Christina Desmond
and Kieran Molloy are amongst Ireland’s top boxers to feature at
this weekend’s Liffey Crane IABA National Elite Championships
being held at the National Boxing Stadium. TG4 will broadcast
the Liffey Crane IABA Finals live on TG4 and on the earlier
bouts on ‘You Tube’.
Harrington who is facing her
first competitive bout since winning the World Championship in
New Delhi in November 2019 will fight Sweden’s Jelena Jelic in a
specially arranged fight. Michaela Walsh, Gardiner, Grainne
Walsh and Molloy meanwhile will all defend their Senior National
titles with Television coverage of all fights getting underway
on TG4 in Ireland at 8:45pm this Saturday, 23rd February.
Tickets to the Liffey Crane Hire IABA National Elite
Championships are on sale through the IABA with a limited number
of tickets available at the National Boxing Arena on each day of
the Championships.
TG4’s Head of Sport, Rónán Ó Coisdealbha said:
“TG4 are very pleased to be broadcasting the IABA National
Senior Elite Finals from the National Stadium. It is important
to give the ‘free-to-air’ television audience an opportunity to
see some of the best boxers from all over Ireland. It is a
privilege to be working closely with the IABA to provide live
coverage of this event which has such national sporting
importance. “
IABA Chief Executive, Fergal Carruth said:
“We are all really looking forward to a fantastic weekend of
boxing. The Liffey Crane National Elite Championships are a
highlight of the sporting calendar. There will be world class
talent on display not least with Kellie Harrington re-entering
the ring for the first time since being crowned World Champion
last November.
We are delighted that the Championships are to be broadcast on
TG4. On behalf of the IABA, I would like to thank Liffey Crane
Hire as well as our other our other sponsors Principal
Construction and O’Neills for their support. There continued
support is crucial to the on-going success of Irish boxing.”
We will bring you the results from The National Stadium finals
on Sunday in what is an important year for Irish boxing with
World Championships, Olympic qualifiers and the European Games
all being held during the year. In the men’s events some missing
due injury like Joe Ward,Brendan Irvine and Kurt Walker but
watch out for rising stars of tomorrow like Gabriel Dossen,
Patrick O’Donovan and in the women’s Aoife O’Rourke
Sadly there are three walk-overs in the women’s final with no
one challenging World Champion Kellie Harrington, a lost
opportunity in the writer’s view since Irish senior females get
few if any opportunities to represent their country overseas ;
thus bouts in the Senior Elites allow them the privilege of
fighting the best not only in Ireland but this year the World
champion. What better preparation for one’s future career even
if as is likely one lost.
Saturday’s order of bouts:
LIFFEY CRANE NATIONAL MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SENIOR ELITE
CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019
NATIONAL STADIUM DUBLIN, SATURDAY 23rd FEBRUARY
Finals (5.45pm) – Irish Time:
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 Horgans) 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 (Sweden) (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
