World Boxing Championships – Team Ireland Named
The Team Ireland team to contest IABA’s inaugural World Boxing event, the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England September 4th to 14th, has been named – and includes Olympians, World and European medalists.
The 17 strong team are drawn from Belfast (2), Donegal (1), Dublin (4), Galway (2), Offaly (1), Roscommon (2), Sligo/Leitrim (1), Waterford (2), Westmeath (1), Wicklow (1); all were crowned 2025 Elite Competition champions on June 4th at Belfast’s Girdwood Community Hub. That competition was the first to take place within IABA at World Boxing weights and was staged with the collaboration and support of IABA’s Central Council, led by President Anto Donnelly, and Ulster and Antrim regional councils.
The team includes Paris Olympians Daina Moorehouse (51kg), Jenny Lehane (54kg), Grainne Walsh (65kg), Dean Clancy (65kg) and Jack Marley (90kg), alongside double Olympians Michaela Walsh (57kg) and Aoife O’Rourke (75kg). Aoife’s sister Lisa (70kg), who won World silver in March alongside her sibling, has also been named. So too have 2024 European U23 medalists Louis Rooney (50kg), Patsy Joyce (55kg) and Martin McDonagh (90+kg).
Contesting this Championships is made possible by IABA clubs’ decision in April to also affiliate to World Boxing, on a dual member basis. World Boxing, which will run boxing at the LA28 Olympic Games, affirmed IABA as a member in May.
National Performance Director, Jon Mackey, will lead the team in Liverpool in the first benchmark championships since his appointment in April. He says “This is a red-letter event for Irish Boxing, our first World Boxing World Championships. The selected team is awash with talent and potential – some boxers are veterans of international benchmark competition and for others, it will be their first outing at this level. The squad has been in training and evaluation in the High Performance Unit since mid-June, working with our coaching team of Zauri Antia, Damian Kennedy, Eoin Pluck, Lynne McEnery and James Doyle, and engaging with Sport Science Medical practitioners in the Institute of Sport – it’s coaches and practitioners of this calibre that make the difference at World level”
Jon adds “I want to thank IABA President, Anto Donnelly, and all on Central Council, for the collaborative leadership approach they took in staging the 2025 National Elite Competition. This decision meant boxers moving weight to align with World Boxing’s categories had the time to do so safely and well -keeping athlete welfare is at the centre of decision-making in Irish Boxing.”
National Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia, says “Our boxers are in a great place – focused, technically and tactically prepared. They know what’s ahead of them and will continue their path building skill and fitness levels over the next 7 weeks, as we level-up preparations. It’s an honour to be selected to represent your country, especially so at World level – I want to congratulate every boxer on their selection, as well as their clubs, club coaches and families”
Team Ireland will, as part of continued preparation for the World Championships, participate in a multi-nations training camp at the GB Boxing base in Sheffield, in the last two weeks in August.
Team Ireland
51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow.
54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Club, Dublin.
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.
70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast
55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath
6okg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway
65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim.
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
- Logistics Support: Sean Crowley, High Performance Manager
