Team Ireland recorded two key wins on the second day of boxing in the European Elite Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Jude Gallagher, the 2026 lightweight Commonwealth Games silver medalist took on Maksym Bocarov of Slovakia, in a contest driven by his technical, physical style of boxing. The bout went to the Tyrone man 5-0, scored: 28:29; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30. Jude is in Last 16 action on Monday’s Afternoon Session, taking on France’s Lounes Hamraoi, a 2022 European medalist.
Speaking to Boxing Ireland’s Grainne Walsh after his win, Jude said “Feeling good to have the first one out of the way. Maybe a bit rusty. The first and second round (felt) a small bit rusty. Delighted to get off to a win; it’ll only get better from here.”
Jude has boxed at Strandja, World Boxing Cup Brazil, the Commonwealth Games and other tournaments this year and says “I’ve had loads of tournaments this year. The only one I missed was probably the World Boxing Cup in China. Its good coming off one tournament and straight in to a camp for another one, because you know you’ll only get better, sharper -everything will adjust more; you’re fine tuning, really. Its good coming from one competition into another and rather than having a break and then starting fresh and trying to get fit again. It’s good.”
Speaking about his father, John, who has travelled to Sofia for the championships, Jude says “He follows me everywhere, wherever I box. Any part of the world, he’ll be there. My cousin Tony is over, too…The support from him is fantastic.’
Dean Clancy left it all in the ring in claiming his opening European Elite Championship win. He contested against Germany’s Mohamed Siala in a tight, high-tempo bout, coming away with a 3-2 win. Judges scored the bout 30:27; 29:28; 28:29; 28:29; 29:28.
Dean is back in action on Sunday, against France’s Hugo Grau at Last 16 stage. Clancy and Grau last met, competitively, in the Ireland V France international in the National Stadium in February, and sparred during Boxing Ireland’s Commonwealth Games Camp in Belfast in July.
Speaking to Boxing Ireland’s Grainne Walsh at ringside, Dean said “Happy to get the ball rolling now. The first one is always the hardest. I was down after the first round, I didn’t panic, it was a slight bit of a slow start but I came out in the second and third and found my range. It was hard fought in the last round, punch-for-punch at a few stages.”
Dean added “I landed some big shots at the start of the third, I was suprised he took them; I probably loaded up a but too much…but he’s a tough kid. I felt I landed the harder shots but I really wanted to show I had more in the tank, so for the last 30 seconds I just basically went for it.”
He says the number of competitions Team Ireland has contested this year has been of benefit “Huge. There’s no better way to learn than on the job. The amount of trips we’ve been away this year. We’re very lucky in Team Ireland to be away competing with the best and training with the best. Just growing at every tournament.
Of boxers yet to make their debut in Sofia, Jenny Lehane has a bye, and is face to face with fellow Paris Olympian Wassila Lkhadiri at 54kg Last 16 in Sunday’s Afternoon Session. The pair didn’t meet in Paris, as Lkhadiri contested at 50kg and met Daina at Last 16 stage. The winner will take on either Finland or Poland at the medal stages on September 23rd.
Double Olympian, and 2026 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Michaela Walsh also has a bye and opens her account at Last 16 stage in Monday’s Evening Session against Montengro’s Bojana Gojkovic. Poland, Slovakia or Bulgaria will take on the winner on September 23rd for a 57kg medal.
Team Ireland’s Kellie McLoughlin also benefits from a bye to the Last 16 of in the Women’s lightweight category. She’ll take on seasoned French campaigner, Sthélyne Grosy, who has recently moved up to 60kg. She’s a multiple European U22/U23 medalist. The victor in that bout will contest for a medal against either Poland’s Olga Pavlina Papdatou or GB’s Amy Broadhurst.
Evelyn Igharo is two wins away from a medal in the 70kg category – she’s first in action against Belarussian, Aryna Danilchyk in Sunday’s Afternoon Session. The winner of that contest will box for a medal against England, Romania or Denmark.
Reigning World Champion Aoife O’Rourke must wait until Tuesday to begin her tournament. She’s starting at 75kg quarter final stage, against the winner of the Last 16 contest between Poland and France.
80+kg Cliona D’Arcy faces Poland’s Elżbieta Wójcik for a medal, having a bye to the quarter finals. That’s on Sunday’s Evening Session. Wójcik is a two time European Games bronze medalist, a double European Championship silver medalist. The winner of that contest will meet either Turkey or Ukraine in the semi finals.
Gavin Rafferty benefits from a bye to the 75kg Last 16, and first boxes against Mateusz Urban of Poland in Monday’s Evening Session. Urban won bronze in World Boxing Cup China. The winner will move on to the quarter finals to contests against Bulgaria, Belgium or Slovakia.
And heavyweight Paris Olympian, Jack Marley, also has a bye to the Last 16 and will take on either Aryan Panah Saed in Sunday’s Afternoon Session.
406 boxers are competing in this World Boxing ranking event, drawn from 40 federations: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, World Boxing Refugee Team, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey and Ukraine.
The complete Championship draw is available here.
All images: Magrit Kincses.
How to Watch
Eurovision Sport will broadcast the complete championships here: https://eurovisionsport.com/en/home
The RTE Player will broadcast selected bouts, here: https://www.rte.ie/player/
Day Three | Preliminaries
Four Team Ireland boxers are in Last 16 action on Saturday.
Paris Olympian, Daina Moorehouse, renews rivalry with Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova in the Last 16 of the 51kg category in Saturday’s Afternoon Session. The pair last met at the 2nd Olympic Qualifier in Bangkok in the battle for a quota place – Daina was the victor there. That’s Bout 1 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session, at 11:30am Irish time.
2024 European champion, Mayo’s Shannon Sweeney, gets her championships underway at Last 16 stage in Bout 3 of Ring B’s Evening Session, at approximately 4:30pm, against Italy’s Chiara Mosetti. Poland’s Angelika Krysztoforska awaits the winner at 48kg medal stages in Monday’s Quarter Final.
2022 World champ and 2025 World silver medalist, Lisa O’Rourke, is boxing for the first time at 80kg. She’s in Last 16 action against Vasiliki Stavridou of Greece in Saturday’s Evening Session. Stavridou is a European and European U23 medalist. That’s Bout 8 of Ring A’s Evening Session, at approximately 5:45pm, Irish time.
70kg Jon McConnell is back in action 5 bouts later, in the same ring and session. He boxes his second bout of the contest, against Poland’s Damian Durkacz Durkacz, who is 27, is a Tokyo Olympian and the 2026 World Boxing Cup Brazil champion at the weight. He’s expected in the ring at around 7pm.
Schedules | Ring A, Afternoon Session | Ring B, Afternoon Session | Ring A, Evening Session | Ring B, Evening Session
Team Ireland
48kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, Mayo
51kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow
54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU BC, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family BC, Belfast
60kg Kellie McLoughlin, St. Catherine’s BC, Dublin
60kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles Olympic, Tyrone
65kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim
70kg Evelyn Igharo, Clann Naofa BC, Louth
70kg Jon McConnell, Holy Trinity BC, Belfast
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Gavin Rafferty, Dublin Docklands BC
80kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
80+kg Cliona D’Arcy, Tobair Pheadair BC, Galway
90kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin
Support Staff
Team Manager| Jon Mackey
Head Coach | Damian Kennedy
Coach | James Doyle
Coach | Jay Delaney
Coach | Liam Cunningham
Coach | Lynne McEnery
Physiotherapist| Rob Tuomey
Doctor | Dr. Jim Clover
Psychologist | Dr. Paul Aherne
Analyst | Alan Swanton
HOPS | Paul Carragher
About the European Elite Championships
- This is the first European Boxing Elite Championships under the banner of European Boxing and within the World Boxing family
- This is a World Boxing ranking event, with points award from 1st to 8th place: 1st Place -800 points, 2nd Place -500 points; 3rd Place -300 points; 4th Place -300 points and 150 points for those finishing 5th-8th place.
- 40nnational federations are eligible to compete in the tournament.
- Draw: approx. 4:30pm, September 16th.
- Competition dates: 17th-25th September. There is no rest day at this tournament. Quarter finals take place on September 22nd and 23rd. , semi finals on September 24th. Finals and medal ceremonies will take place on during the second session on September 24th, and on September 25th.
- Afternoon Sessions will begin at 12pm, Irish time – Evening Sessions will get underway at 4pm.
- Competition venue: Asics Arena, Sofia, Bulgaria