THE 2025 Irish Elite Boxing Championships are down for decision at the National Stadium in Dublin this week with the action beginning on Tuesday, culminating in Friday's finals night in the capital.
Almost 100 boxers will take part, including the Paris Olympians, a World Champion, reigning European Elite champion and European U23 champions.
The Elites is the marquee tournament of the Irish Boxing domestic calendar and showcases the athletes who have won 39 medals at benchmark international competitions over the last two years, as well as the international boxing stars of the future.
Recent European U23 gold medallist, Louis Rooney will be in an all-Belfast light-flyweight final on Friday as the Star ABC will face St John Bosco's Paudraig Downey in a repeat of the 2024 Ulster Elite final which Rooney won by unanimous decision.
Holy Trinity's Clepson Dos Santos returned from the Euro U23s with silver and he is in a flyweight semi-final on Thursday against Holy Family, Drogheda's Adam McKenna. McKenna's clubmate, Ricky Nesbitt is on the other side of the draw and will face Derry's Blaine Dobbins in his last four bout.
JP Hale will enter the six-strong 63.5kg category at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday and is drawn against Mullingar's Jason Nevin. Should the Star ABC man prevail, it will be either Aaron O'Donoghue or Evan Fitzgerald in the last four on Thursday, with Dean Clancy and Roy Colgan meeting in the other semi-final.
The men's 67kg division is the busiest of them all with 10 entries and Holy Trinity's Joseph McArdle enjoyed a bit of luck as he avoids the first round and moves straight into a quarter-final on Wednesday against Mullingar's Luke Hall.
Townland's Conor McCrory also begins at the quarter-final stage with Darren O'Connor from Olympic, Galway in the opposite corner.
At 71kg, Holy Trinity's Jon McConnell is straight into a semi-final on Wednesday where he will face the winner of Tuesday's quarter-final between Eugene McKeever from Holy Family, Drogheda or Matthew McCole from the Illies GG club in Donegal. Wayne Kelly and Darragh Gilroy contest the other semi-final.
This is the first domestic championships at which women will box without headguards and in the 50kg category, Immaculata's Caitlin Fryers will go up against Ryston's Niamh Early in the semi-final on Thursday, with Paris Olympian Daina Moorehouse and Shannon Sweeney of St Anne's contesting the other bout.
Holy Family's two-time Olympian, Michaela Walsh is bidding for a record-breaking 12th title and has been drawn into a semi-final at 57kg against Niamh Fay of Ballyboughal on Thursday with Kelsey Leonard awaiting the winner in Friday's final.
Kaci Rock from Holy Trinity is in a similar boat at 63kg as she must negotiate a semi-final on Thursday against Rylane's Linda Desmond with Zoe McCaughran getting the rub of the green with a straight route into the final.
All draws and schedules are available HERE
