IRELAND’S top boxers were back on the top of the podium at a sold-out Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) Annual Awards Night at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin last evening.
Dublin lightweight Kellie Harrington was named IABA Best Overall Boxer after dominating the lightweight class in 2018.
Harrington claimed World and European Elite gold and bronze in 2018 en route to joining Katie Taylor, Michael Conlan and John Joe Nevin, who have all turned pro, as the only Irish boxers to be ranked No. 1 in the world.
Harrington’s gold at the 10th World Elites in New Delhi maintained Ireland’s grip on the 60kg belt as Taylor won the title five times between 2006 and 2014.
Antrim bantam Kurt Walker secured EU gold in 2018 after beating England’s European Elite titlist Peter McGrail in the EU final and Michaela Walsh and Amy Broadhurst took home bronze and gold from the European Elites and European U/22s.
Dublin’s Drimnagh BC and the Olympic BC in Mullingar shared the Best Club and Best Coaching Staff Awards at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel last night.
“Our boxers did incredibly well in international competition in 2018 against some of the best opposition in the world. Fantastic performances all round from everyone concerned,” said IABA President Dom O’Rourke.
Irish boxing will look to build on the success of last year at the World Men’s and Women’s Championships Yekaterinburg and Siberia in Russia in September and October.
Both tournaments will almost certainly be qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 with two-time World Elite finalist, current European champion and Rio Olympian Joe Ward aiming for gold in Yekaterinburg.
The road to those tournaments starts at the Irish Elite Championships which begin at the National Elite Championships next Friday at Dublin’s National Stadium. Harrington will be targeting her ninth belt at the Elites.
IABA Annual Awards 2018 at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel on February 1 2019
018 Best Overall Boxer
Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
2018 Best Male Elite Boxer
Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
2018 Best Elite Female Boxer
Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
2018 Best Male Senior Boxer
Danny O’Brien (St Bernadette's)
2018 Best Female Senior Boxer
Courtney Daly (Crumlin)
2018 Club of the Year
Olympic BC Mullingar/Drimnagh BC
2018 Coaching Staff of the Year
Olympic BC Mullingar/Drimnagh BC
2018 Ref/Judge Award
Dermott McDermott and Ben McGarrigle
Award Winners
2018 World and European Women’s Elite Championships
Gold & Bronze: Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
2018 European Women’s Elite Championships
Bronze: Michaela Walsh (Monkstown)
2018 European Union Championships
Gold: Kurt Walker (Canal)
2018 European U/22 Championships
Gold: Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
Silver Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea)
2018 Olympic Youths
Bronze: Dearbhla Rooney (Sean McDermott)
2018 World Men’s and Women’s Youths
Bronze: Jude Gallagher (Two Castles)
2018 European Men’s and Women’s Youth Championships
Gold: Daina Moorhouse (Enniskerry)
Silver: Dearbhla Rooney (Sean McDermott)
Silver: Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa)
Silver: Dean Clancy (Ballincarrow)
Bronze: Lauren Kelly (St Brigid’s)
2018 European Men’s and Women’s Junior Championships
Gold: Ellie Mai-Gartland (Clonmel)
Gold: Lauren Dempsey (Ryston)
Silver: Sinainn Glynn (Cloghan)
Silver: Lisa O’Rourke (Castlerea)
Silver: Patrick Myers (Sligo)
Bronze: Leanne Murphy (Togher)
Bronze: Leah Gallen (Raphoe)
Bronze: Breda Quilligan (Rathkeale)
Bronze: Kaitlyn Doyle (St Brigid's, Kildare)
Bronze: Kira Goad (Cashen Vale)
Bronze: Michael Donohoe (St Michael’s Athy)
Bronze: John McConnell (Holy Trinity)
Bronze: Barry O’Connor (Sliabh Lucra)
2018 European Schoolboy/girl Championships
Gold: Yasmin Meredith (Glasnevin)
Gold: Kaci Crowley (Erne)
Gold: Winnie McDonagh (Neilstown)
Gold: Michael Faulkner (Northside)
Silver: James Donovan (OLOL)
Silver: Curtis Darcy (Callan)
Silver: Dearbhla Tinnelly (Clann Naofa)
Silver: Nasya McJin-Iglige (Clann Naofa)
Bronze: Katie O’Keeffe (Kanturk)
Bronze: Nora Jackman (Paulstown)
Bronze: Robyn Kelly (Ballynacargy)
Bronze: Robyn Murray (St Brigid's, Kildare)
Bronze: John Fay (Swords)
Bronze: Tyler Meade (Kilnamanagh)
2018 Ref/Judge Award
Dermott McDermott and Ben McGarrigle
2018 Lifetime Achievement Award
Mick Quigley and Johnny Geraghty
2018 Hall of Fame Award
Breandan O Conaire and Nicky White
2018 Outstanding Services to Boxing Award
Harry Robinson (Antrim)
Raymond Lee (Connacht)
Noel Burke Snr (Dublin)
Simon Walsh (Leinster)
Anna Moore (Munster)
Mick Quigley (Ulster)
