Kellie Harrington chasing 12th national title on return from retirement

RETURN TO THE RING: Kellie Harrington is chasing her 12th title just months after confirming an end to the retirement she announced at Roland Garros in the summer of 2024 when she retained the Olympic title won three years earlier in Tokyo. Picture: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy

Chances are it went mostly unnoticed by the wider sporting public, but the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA), an organization associated with far too many controversies down the years, remodelled itself as Boxing Ireland this week.

The rebrand was launched with a soundtrack of buzzwords on visibility, engagement and commercial growth. Liam Neeson, a champion fighter in his youth with Saints ABC Ballymena, narrated the video that was shared across the digital platforms.

Not everything is brand new.

The medals won at the National Elite Championships being held across Friday and Saturday night this week will continue to carry the IABA crest, preserving tradition and providing a continuing thread to a competition first held at the Abbey Theatre over 100 years ago.

No fewer than 12 Olympians are on the bill at the old but much-loved National Stadium on Dublin’s South Circular Road, five of them helping to get the ball rolling as part of Friday’s list of semi-finals.

Enniskerry BC’s Daina Moorehouse, one of those dozen, probably features in the pick of them as she goes up against St Anne’s BC’s European champion Shannon Sweeney at 51kg. Another Paris Olympian, Jenny Lehane, meets Ulster champion Nicole Clyde at 54kg.

The others featuring in the last four are Jude Gallagher (60kg v Adam Kiely), Dean Clancy (65kg v Roy Colgan) and Jack Marley (90kg v Wayne Rafferty). Plenty more fighters besides can boast pedigrees at continental and global championships at various grades.

Among the finals already confirmed for the Saturday showcase is the 60kg meeting of double Olympic champion Kellie Harrington and last year’s National Elite winner at the weight, Kellie McLoughlin of St Catherine’s BC in Dublin.

Harrington is chasing her 12th title just months after confirming an end to the retirement she announced at Roland Garros in the summer of 2024 when she retained the Olympic title won three years earlier in Tokyo.

Harrington hasn’t ruled out going for a three-in-a-row at LA in 2028 and she looked comfortable in accounting for Tramore’s beaten finalist from 2025 Zara Breslin in the first of the semi-final bills held last weekend.

Reigning world champion Aoife O’Rourke goes up against Wexford’s Shauna Kearnery in the 75kg decider while her sister Lisa, herself a former world champ and silver medallist in 2025, is paired with Evelyn Igharo of Clann Naofa BC in Louth.

Michael Walsh, Holy Family of Belfast’s double Olympian from Tokyo and Paris, will look to build on an already record-breaking 13th Elite title when she takes to the ring against Sarah Cunningham of O’Rourke’s BC in the capital.

Grainne Walsh, world bronze medallist, takes on Linda Desmond of Rylane BC Cork in the 65kg.

Reigning Ulster Elite champion Louis Rooney of Star BC Belfast meets multiple Elite champion Sean Mari at 50kg. The Monkstown man’s Olympic dreams were undone by a hand injury at a qualifying tournament in Bangkok two years ago.

Last but not least is Patsy Joyce of Mullingar, another of the team in Paris in 2024 and a world bronze medallist with it, who will have Holy Trinity Belfast’s Clepson dos Santos for company in the final of the 55kg.

TG4, as they have done since 2019, will be providing live-stream coverage on their YouTube channel. Friday’s bill begins at 6.30pm with a 6pm start the following day.