National Elite Senior Finals on RTÉ – Details
Irish boxing is back on terrestrial television this Saturday night [February 24th].
The finals night of the Liffey Crane Hire National Elite Senior Championships have been picked up by national broadcaster who will show the tournament for the first time since 2013.
17 finals take place this weekend, with the men’s and women’s championships taking place alongside each other for the second year in a row.
Below are all the details we currently know about amateur boxing’s long-awaited return to TV.
RTÉ 2 will provide coverage from 7:30pm until 10:00pm. Boxing begins at 6:30pm and will end some time later in the night, but IABA CEO Fergal Carruth has stressed that as many finals as possible will be squeezed into the two and a half hour time slot.
In terms of which finals will be shown, a running order is yet to be publicised. However, going by the fighters in attendance at a photo shoot at the National Stadium, the following fights will be among those shown.
Kelly Harrington v Amy Broadhurst
Kevin Sheehy v Kiril Afanasev
Gráinne Walsh v Ciara Ginty
Michael Nevin v Brett McGinty
Commentary on the night will be provided by 2FM Game On presenter Hugh Cahill who also commentated on boxing for RTÉ at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Cahill’s co-commentator will be five-time Elite champion and current BUI Celtic featherweight titleholder, Eric Donovan.
Back in the studio with Darragh Maloney, recently-retired former WBO middleweight champion and three-time Elite champ Andy Lee along with London Olympian and seven-time Elite champ Darren O’Neill will provide punditry
Tickets for the finals can be purchased via card over the phone on 01-4533371 and are priced at €40 (Ringside), €30 (Angles), and €25 (Gallery).
2018 National Elite Men’s and Women’s Championships National Stadium Dublin
February 24th
Finals
48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Anne’s) V Carol Coughlan (Monkstown D)
49kg Ricky Nesbitt (Carrickmacross) V Conor Jordan (St Aidan’s)
51kg Ceire Smith (Virginia/DCU) V Niamh Early (Ryston)
52kg Conor Quinn (Clonard Antrim) W/O
54kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigid’s E) V Amanda Loughlin (St Michael’s Dub)
56kg Evan Metcalfe (Hyland Academy) V Thomas McCarthy (Setanta)
57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) V Michaela Walsh (Monkstown A)
60kg George Bates (St Mary’s Dublin) v Francis Cleary (Ballina)
60kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) V Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s Dublin)
64kg Joanne Lambe (Carrickmacross) W/O
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise) V Caoimhin Ferguson (Clonard A)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard) V Eugene McKeever (Holy Family D)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus) V Ciara Ginty (Geesala)
75kg Aoife Burke (St Mary’s Dublin) V Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
75kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf) V Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) W/O
81kg Brian Kennedy (St Marys Daingean) V Caoimhin Agyarko Hynes (Holy Trinity)
81+kg Lisa Browne (Aglish) V Nell Fox (Rathkeale)
91kg Kevin Sheehy (St Francis) V Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel) V Martin Keenan (Rathkeale)