Gorey Boxing Club has recently shared their delight after Annabelle Coade from Gorey took home her first All-Ireland Championship title in the 41kg category at just 11 years of age.
Annabelle, who has been a member of the club since she was nine had just started her first year fighting competitively, which has worked well in her favour, as she officially secured not only County or Leinster titles, but also the National title.
She won the title at the 2026 National Girl 1 Championship finals in the 41kg category where she was crowned the winner after her opponent withdrew from the competition.
Niall Murray, Annabelle’s coach, praised her commitment to boxing and for taking home such wins during her first competitive year. “She could be one of the best kids that we’ve ever had down here.
“We’ve only ever had one previous 11 year old champion, first year boxing champion. So, she’s the second first year boxing champion that we’ve ever had,” Niall said.
All Ireland Boxing Champion Annabelle Coade from Gorey Boxing Club. PHOTO: Sabrina Ffrench
With many players were just finding their feet with competitive boxing, he said coaches communicate well to ensure the safety of their players, which led to the Ulster champions withdrawal. “Her coaches rang me then and asked me how strong Annabelle is, and said she looked very strong in the semi-final. They actually decided to pull their girl out of the final.
“It was her first year of boxing. Annabelle is not experienced either, it’s just that she’s extremely strong. We’ve had her sparring with boys since she was eight or nine because she’s too strong for most girls,” Niall added.
Due to her strength, Niall said she was moved up to the Senior classes earlier than usual as she continues her training and upskilling. “I’d say you’ll be hearing her name a lot in the future now. She’s a phenomenal little athlete.”
With the club seeing recent success with Kayleigh Byrne, Niall said Annabelle has been inspired by Kayleigh’s work ethic and dedication to the sport. “Kayleigh came back a little over two years and ago and since, Annabelle’s looking up to her training.
“They say success breeds success and Kayleigh is the first in the door and she’s the last out of the door. Annabelle is kind of just looking up to her and she’s training every bit as hard as her now,” Niall said.
Gorey Boxing Club established 40 years ago in 1986 and has taken home approximately 50 Irish titles.