Boxing Ireland is marking the historic forward progression of the first half of 2026 by sharing an overview of all that’s been achieved through partnership and collaboration across our organisation.
Across club development, high-performance boxing, governance and digital engagement, together we have focused on strengthening our sport while laying foundations for future success.
This six-month snapshot highlights improvements inside and outside the ring, with investment in athletes, clubs and systems already delivering visible results.
President Anto Donnelly believes the year’s biggest successes have come from keeping the focus firmly on boxing.
“It’s been an outstanding first half of the year for all of us withing Boxing Ireland. We’ve delivered a first-class Elite Championships, successfully brought back the Four Nations tournament, and continued to build real momentum throughout the organisation. Those achievements reflect the dedication, ambition and hard work of everyone involved in Irish boxing. With the European Championships on the horizon and an exciting programme of activity still to come, we’re well placed to build on that momentum and make the second half of the year even more successful.”
Competition has been at the heart of a busy opening six months. The return of the Four Nations tournament after a 20-year absence saw Ireland collect an impressive 23 gold medals, while Irish teams also competed at two World Boxing Cups in China and Brazil.
The domestic calendar has continued to evolve, with improvements to the presentation of the National Championships and the appointment of Daithi McCabe to lead pathway development. Athlete welfare has been strengthened through the appointment of Olympian Aidan Walsh to a dedicated high-performance support role, while the Targeted Performance Programme now helps integrate Under-19 and Under-23 athletes better into the HP system.
Other milestones include:
- The largest sparring camp ever to take place on the island of Ireland in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.
- Objective, evidence-driven selection policies for national teams ensuring performance in the ring is the main factor.
Away from competition, Boxing Ireland has continued modernising the organisation with changes designed to better support clubs and members.
Chief Executive Gary Stewart says the emphasis has been on practical improvements rather than change for its own sake.
“We’ve got through a lot this year already with a restructure of staffing roles, a new website, some exciting partnerships, Sport80 coming on board, and of course the re-brand work. It’s important that we focus on meaningful change that makes a difference for our members. It’s because of this that our most important changes are member-facing, laying the foundation for positive impacts for years to come”
That work has included:
- Launching a new membership and affiliation platform.
- Designing a new Boxing Ireland website as part of the organisation’s new brand and as a showcase for our community.
- Restructuring the development department with an increased focus on supporting clubs.
- Redeveloping complaints and disciplinary procedures.
- Introducing modern finance and purchase-to-pay systems.
- Aligning staff payment frameworks with EU legislation.
- Supporting the wider boxing community has remained a key priority.
A new annual member survey has been introduced, alongside a WhatsApp community that has already attracted more than 1,480 subscribers. Clubs have benefited from improved insurance premiums. 347 coaches have completed Fundamentals and Level 1 training and six Coach Developers achieved Sport Ireland accreditation. The growth in Boxing Ireland’s Coach Developer group enables us to provide more frequent coaching courses to support the expansion of clubs.
Progress has also been made in inclusion, with the first Women in Boxing Conference taking place and the awarding to Boxing Ireland of the Irish Centre for Diversity Bronze Award.
The organisation’s new identity as being ‘Built Different’ has gained significant momentum since its launch in January.
Highlights include a new partnership with Sting, a new official print and branding partner, the opening of the Boxing Shop through Sting and Nike agreements, and strong engagement across digital platforms.
By the halfway point of the year:
- Follower numbers across our digital channels had grown by 17%.
- Boxing Ireland content generated 34 million impressions across social media
- Media coverage delivered 13 million positive impressions.
- Grace Conway’s Four Nations winner declaration reached 7.5 million views.
- The launch of the “Built Different” campaign was narrated by global icon and All Saints BC alumnus, Liam Neeson.
While there is plenty to celebrate from the opening six months, the work is far from finished. With major international competitions still to come this year at World, European and Youth Olympic level, and continued investment in athletes, clubs and governance, Boxing Ireland enters the second half of 2026 with strong momentum and a clear focus on continuing to improve the sport at every level.