Aoife O’Rourke Moves To Within One Win of a World Championships Medal
Aoife O’Rourke will box for a World Boxing Championship medal on Wednesday – having won her World Boxing Championship Last 16 bout in dominant, decisive style on Saturday.
The double Olympian and four-time continental champion, contesting at 75kg, forced a second-round standing count of her opponent, Monika Langerova of the Czech Republic. The Rosscomon native won by 5-0 as the judges scored the bout: 30:27, 30:25, 30:25, 30: 25, 30: 26, 30: 25. The decorated boxer will box her quarter final against Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad – a fellow Paris Olympian and the only boxer, male or female, this year to win gold at all World Boxing Cups. That bout takes place in Wednesday’s evening session.
Daina Moorehouse bowed-out of the World Boxing Championships on the narrowest of margins. The Wicklow boxer contested her Last 32 bout against fellow Paris Olympian, Laura Fuentes Fernandez of Spain and lost 3-2 after a tight, high-tempo bout. Judges scored the bout 28:29, 29:28, 29:28, 28:29, 29:28
Matthew McCole also exited by the narrowest of margins. In the Donegal man’s first benchmark tournament, he held his opponent, Ronald Chavez Jr of the Philippines to a 3-2 split. Judges scored the bout 29: 28, 28:29, 28:29, 29: 28, 28:29
It wasn’t to be Zara Breslin either. The Waterford lightweight boxer took on Paris Olympian, Turkey’s Gizem Ozer, in her Last 32 contest. Ozer is a European Games, Mediterranean Games and European U22 medalist and her experience showed as she claimed victor despite an excellent Irish effort.
Photo Seb Daly Sportsfile
Team Ireland
51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow. Daina is from Bray, Co. Wicklow.
54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Club, Dublin. Jenny is from Ashbourne, Co. Meath
57kg Michaela Walsh of Holy Family Golden Gloves BC Belfast.
60kg Zara Breslin of Tramore BC, Waterford.
65kg Grainne Walsh of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin. Grainne is from Tullamore, Co. Offaly
70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon. Team Co-Captain
50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast
55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath
60kg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway. Team Co-Captain
65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim. Dean is from Co. Sligo
70kg Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Glove BC Co. Donegal
75kg Gavin Rafferty of Dublin Docklands Boxing Club
80kg Kelyn Cassidy of Saviours Crystal BC, Co. Waterford
85kg Brian Kennedy of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry Co. Offaly
90kg Jack Marley of Monkstown BC, Dublin
90+kg Martin McDonagh of Galway BC
Support Staff
- Team Manager: Jon Mackey, National Performance Director
- Head Coach: Zauri Antia
- Coaches: Damain Kennedy, Lynne McEnery, Eoin Pluck, James Doyle and JP Delaney
- Doctor: Jim Clover
- Lead Physio: Rob Tuomey
- Performance Analyst: Alan Swanton
- Logistics Support: Sean Crowley, High Performance Manager

