The draw has taken place for the 2026 World U19 Championships in which 474 will compete for 80 medals in Budva, Montenegro.
The 18 strong Team Ireland is comprised of National champions, Four Nations medalists and international benchmark medalists, and includes reigning European U19 champion and 2023 World champ, John Donoghue of Olympic BC, Mullingar. He’s joined by his brother, 2023 European medalist Jason, alongside double European medalist and club-mate, Louise Joyce, Euro U19 bronze medalists, Kalib Walshe, Kayleigh Byrne, Grace Bailey. Also boxing for Ireland are 2025 European U17 medalists Kalib Walsh and Cassie Henderson.
Louise Joyce opens her campaign at 48kg Last 32 stage in Sunday’s Afternoon Session, taking on Algeria’s Bouthaina Bouslash. Also opening his tournament on Sunday is Caoimhin Connolly – he meets USA’s Refugio Mendrano Veloz in a Last 32 in the same session.
51kg Kayleigh Byrne makes her tourament debut in Sunday’s Evening Session, contesting against Hungary’s Patricia Petriman. 54kg Carley O’Herron is first in action on Saturday, when she takes on Zuzanna Golebiewska of Poland for a place in the Last 16.
Wexford’s Kalib Walshe has a bye to the Last 32, and is first in action on Monday, against Gracjan Kolodziedj of Poland. 65kg Grace Bailey, a Team Co-Captain, boxes her Last 32 contest on Sunday, and contests against Timea Timea Fabryova of Slovakia. Weight-mate Jason Donoghue boxes in the largest weight in the championships – alongside 44 other boxers. He has a bye to the Last 32.
Kaysie Joyce is in one of the smallest weight categories in Budva – 70kg, with a total of 16 boxers. She begins her championships on Wednesday 21st, taking on Ukraine’s Vladyslava Nalyvaiko. Reigning European champion, 70kg John Donoghue, is first in action on October 19th, having a bye to the Last 32, where he first boxes Maksim Rybak of Belarus.
Cassie Henderson contests alongside 12 other boxers in the Women’s 75kg category, and gets her tournament underway against Daria Antipova of Russia on Thursday. And Team Co-Captain, 75kg Jason Whelan, opens his campaign on Monday in a Last 32 contest against Turkmenistan’s Toyly Bazarov.
Kristian Jubani, Boxing Ireland’s 2026 European U19 medalist at 50kg, has been selected to contest the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, from October 31st to November 13th. He has travelled with the team to continue his preparations, but will not compete in Budva.
The team is led and managed by Jennifer O’Sullivan Coffey of Sliabh Luachra BC, Kerry. The team is coached by Eoin Pluck, High Performance; Garry Kehoe of Marble City BC Kilkenny, Fergus Turner of Enniscorthy BC, Wexford and Aoife Hennigan of Swinford BC, Mayo.
Complete World U19 Championship Drawsheets
Number of boxers per weight class
Women’s 48kg: 21 boxers
Women’s 51kg: 23 boxers
Women’s 54kg: 20 boxers
Women’s 57kg: 20 boxers
Women’s 60kg: 21 boxers
Women’s 65kg: 22 boxers
Women’s 70kg: 16 boxers
Women’s 75kg: 13 boxers
Women’s 80kg: 6 boxers
Women’s +80kg: 6 boxers
Men’s 50kg: 29 boxers
Men’s 55kg: 37 boxers
Men’s 60kg: 38 boxers
Men’s 65kg: 45 boxers
Men’s 70kg: 35 boxers
Men’s 75kg: 28 boxers
Men’s 80kg: 33 boxers
Men’s 85kg: 22 boxers
Men’s 90kg: 23 boxers
Men’s +90kg: 16 boxers
Competition Schedule
Boxing, at the Mediterranean Sports Centre, begins on October 16th.
Monday, October 26th is a rest day at the tournament. All finals and medal ceremonies will take place on Tuesday, October 27th. Afternoon Sessions will begin at 1pm, Irish time, and Evening Sessions will get underway at 5pm.
Complete World U19 Championships Competition Schedule
Detailed Competition Schedule
Watch
Every single bout of the competition will be livestreamed on World Boxing TV.
Subscriptions cost $5.99 per month and will include every session live with commentary from the semi-finals onwards.
Day One
There’s an Evening Session, only, on the opening day of the competition, which gets underway at 5pm, Irish time.
Lee Largey Snoddon opens Team Ireland’s account, and the tournament itself, when he takes on Australian southpaw David Mlacic in a 55kg Round of 64 contest which opens procedings in Ring A.
Schedule Ring A, Evening Session | Ring B, Evening Session.
Schedules up to Sunday, October 18th, are available here
Team Ireland
48kg Louise Joyce, Olympic BC Mullingar, Westmeath
50kg Caoimhin Connolly, Twin Towns ABC, Donegal
51kg Kayleigh Byrne, Gorey ABC, Wexford
54kg Carley O’Herron, Rochfortbridge BC, Westmeath
55kg Lee Largey Snoddon, Immaculata BC, Antrim
60kg Kalib Walshe, Wexford CBS, Wexford
65kg Grace Bailey, Castlebar BC, Mayo
65kg Jason Donoghue, Olympic BC, Mullingar, Westmeath
70kg Kaysie Joyce, Clonmel BC, Tipperary
70kg John Donoghue, Olympic BC, Mullingar, Westmeath
75kg Cassie Henderson, Phoenix BC, Armagh
75kg Jason Whelan, Dublin Docklands BC, Dublin
Support Staff
Team Manager, Jennifer O’Sullivan Coffey, Sliabh Luachra BC, Kerry
Coach, Eoin Pluck, High Performance
Coach, Garry Kehoe of Marble City BC Kilkenny
Coach, Fergus Turner of Enniscorthy BC, Wexford
Coach, Aoife Hennigan of Swinford BC, Mayo.