Five new male champions will be crowned at the ‘Irish Daily Star’ sponsored National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium on Friday night.
The light-fly, bantam, lightweight, middle and super-heavy crowns are up for grabs on the biggest night of the year for Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport.
Michael Conlan, Ross Hickey, Adam Nolan, Joe Ward and Tommy McCarthy are through to their respective finals and will be defending their titles on Friday.
Katie Taylor will in action Friday versus Poland’s Karolina Grazcyk in her first competitive bout since winning gold at London 2012 last August.
The running order for Friday’s finals will be determined shortly.
Elite National Championships February 22nd National Stadium Dublin:
Men’s Finals:
49kg: (Light-flyweight) – Hugh Myers (Ryston) v TJ Waite (Cairn Lodge)
52kg: (Flyweight) – Michael Conlan (St John Bosco) v Chris Phelan (Ryston)
56kg: (Bantamweight) – Declan Geraghty (Crumlin) v Gary McKenna (Old School)
60kg: (Lightweight) – Sean McComb (Holy Trinity) v George Bates (St Marys)
64kg: (Light-welter) – Ross Hickey (Grangecon) v Ray Moylette (St Anne’s)
69kg: (Welterweight) – Adam Nolan (Bray) v Willie McLaughlin (Illies GG)
75kg: (Middleweight) – Jason Quigley (Finn Valley) v Roy Sheahan (St Michael’s Athy)
81kg: (Light-heavyweight) – Joe Ward (Moate) v Ken Egan (Neilstown)
91kg: (Heavyweight) – Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett) v Jimmy Sweeney (Drimnagh)
91+kg: (Super-Heavyweight) – Sean Turner (Drimnagh) v Niall Kennedy (Gorey)
Women’s Finals
54kg: (Bantamweight) – Michelle Lynch (Golden Gloves) v Dervla Duffy (Ryston)
57kg: (Featherweight) – Michaela Walsh (Holy Family) v Joanna Lambe (Carrickmacross)
64kg: (Light-welterweight) – Sarah Close (Holy Family) v Kelly Harrington (Corinthians)
Support Bout:
60kg: (Lightweight) – Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Karolina Grazcyk (Poland)
Meantime, a reminder that we already have five newly crowned titleholders in the female championships with wins in the ring for Hannah Carthy, Ceire Smith, Clare Grace and Sinead Kavanagh at the weekend whilst Katie Taylor (hardly surprisingly) and Carrickmacross boxer Lianne Murphy each received a walk over since no one entered at 60kg or 81+kg. Three more ‘action packed’ bouts in store on Friday.
More here on SportsNewsIreland later in the week.
Tickets for Finals night are available from the National Stadium. Phone (01) 454 3525 or(01) 453 3371
Ticket Prices : €50 , €40 and €30 but be quick as Finals night almost always attracts a full house and this year there is the added attraction of Olympic Gold Medal winner
Katie Taylor in her first bout since London 2012 and in a repeat of the 2011 European Union final against the Polish champion.
