The 17-strong Irish boxing team will fly out to Liverpool today for the World Championships (4-14 September), aiming to glean precious experience as the long road to LA begins.
Paris Olympians Daina Moorehouse (51kg), Jenny Lehane (54kg), Grainne Walsh (65kg), Dean Clancy (65kg) and Jack Marley (90kg) make the trip across the Irish Sea, as do Michaela Walsh (57kg), Aoife O’Rourke (75kg) and Lisa O’Rourke (70kg).
There’s younger prospects too. Louis Rooney (50kg), Patsy Joyce (55kg) and Martin McDonagh (90+kg) are all ones to watch as Ireland build towards the LA Games in 2028 hoping to improve on what was a disappointing showing at last year’s Olympics.
Kellie Harrington came home with a glorious gold medal, but Jack Marley was the only other Irish fighter to even win a bout.
Now, the hard work begins, though head coach Zaur Antia insisted victories are not the key barometer of success.
“The young boxers will get very good experience,” Antia told RTÉ Sport’s Darren Frehill.
“Success has no limits, you know, but of course when you have good experience you can use it wisely.
“The main thing is performance. Sometimes even if a boxer won the fight, if the performance is not good I’m still not happy.
“The main thing is the best performance – what we decide, what we will speak, what we will see, what we will plan, that plan should work. If that plan works, it doesn’t matter the result. But I think when the plan works, mostly always we achieve.”
Patsy Joyce of the Olympic BC in Mullingar spoke to @darrenfrehill as he finalised his preparation for the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, which begin on Thursday #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/pwuh0MKwsQ
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 2, 2025
Nineteen-year-old Joyce won gold at the 2024 European Under-23 Championships in Sofia.
He’s one of the exuberantly confident younger boxers aiming to make a mark in Liverpool, with an eye on the LA Games in three years’ time.
“I’m a southpaw, a counter-puncher. I pick my shots, that’s my style,” he said.
“It’s a big thing, a World Championships, it’s just big isn’t it? It’s a new experience. I’m very excited for it as well, going out with all these boxers. There’s a few world champions and Olympians on the team so hopefully I can follow them.
“That’s what I want to get to, the Olympics. Hopefully in 2028 I’ll be out in LA. It’s getting used to what it’s like boxing on these big stages, and hopefully in two years I’ll qualify.
“My mother and father and little brother are coming out Friday. If I make it on Sunday my uncle is coming out Sunday – but I will make it. I’m going to make it to the Sunday.”
TEAM IRELAND
51kg Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry BC)
54kg Jenny Lehane of (DCU Boxing Club)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Holy Family Golden Gloves BC Belfast)
60kg Zara Breslin (Tramore BC)
65kg Grainne Walsh (St Mary’s BC, Tallaght)
70kg Lisa O’Rourke (Castlerea BC, Roscommon)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea BC, Roscommon)
50kg Louis Rooney (Star BC, Belfast)
55kg Patsy Joyce (Olympic BC, Mullingar)
60kg Adam Hession (Monivea BC, Galway)
65kg Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim)
70kg Matthew McCole (Illies Golden Glove BC, Donegal)
75kg Gavin Rafferty (Dublin Docklands Boxing Club)
80kg Kelyn Cassidy (Saviours Crystal BC, Waterford)
85kg Brian Kennedy (St Brigid’s BC Edenderry)
90kg Jack Marley (Monkstown BC)
90+kg Martin McDonagh (Galway BC)
You can watch the World Boxing Championships from this Thursday on Eurovision Sport.