Irish ready for Euro test

THE Irish boxing team will leave for the European Championships in Ankara this weekend with just two medallists from last year’s record-breaking haul of five making the trip.

A sensational run of upsets at the national championships saw Kenneth Egan, Tyrone McCullagh and Eric Donovan relinquish their titles. Only light flyweight champion, Paddy Barnes, who bids to become the first man in Irish boxing history to retain a European title, and silver medallist, Darren O’Neill retain their places.

“It speaks volumes for the array of talent we have,” head coach, Billy Walsh.

“Not alone do we have just two of our Beijing Olympic team travelling — we have just one of our Olympic medallists. Only two of our European medallists have made it and this is the biggest year of all, pre-Olympic year.

“We have 30 lads full-time in the high-performance squad and we have three and, in some cases, four pushing for places in some weight divisions and all or most of those have won medals at major tournaments.”

As part of their preparations the squad spent five days at a training camp in the Institute of Sport in Sheffield where they each sparred 30 rounds with 18 members of the British, Polish and Estonian teams.

“Every day we progressed more,” Billy Walsh said. “They all got 30 rounds of sparring each. Then we finished up with test matches over the last two days.

“Everyone is in good nick. Joe Ward was sick for one tournament but he went to Poland and won a gold medal and he has been training well. He is still only 17, in fact himself and Michael McDonagh are still eligible for the youths championships.

“Darren O’Neill is the most experienced member of the squad and if we can get him to the ring fit we can expect another big performance.”

O’Neill reflected on a slump in form after the national championships but is looking forward to the European championships.

“My form is coming back,” he said. “I went back to basics — back home to Paulstown to my father. We did the things I did as a 12- or 13-year-old and it worked wonders.”

Katie Taylor, who has won three world titles, four European titles and four EU titles, is the only Irish boxer to retain a European title but now her sparring partner, Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes, bids to become the first man to do it.

The 24-year-old defeated Azerbaijan’s Elvin Mamishzade 4-1 in last June’s final in Moscow and anticipates an even tougher level of competition this time. “I’m feeling confident,” he said “The Europeans, in my opinion, is the toughest amateur tournament in the world.”