Three Team Ireland boxers have won through to the quarter finals of the European Elite Championships with superb performances in Sofia.
Paris Olympian Daina Moorehouse is through to the QFs, with a 3-2 win over Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova. The pair last met at the 2nd Olympic Qualifier in Bangkok in the battle for a quota place – Daina was also the victor there. Judges scored today’s bout: 29:28; 29:28; 27:30; 28:29; 29:28. She’ll take on World and European Games bronze medalist, Spain’s Laura Fuentes Fernandez. Daina last contested against the Spanish boxer at the 2025 World Boxing Championships, and lost on a dreaded 3-2 split.
Speaking to Boxing Ireland’s Grainne Walsh after her contest, Daina said “I’m delighted to get the win. It was a really tough fight. The first one always is. She was game today. First round I think she was trying to counter me more than put the pressure on, which is what she’d usually do. Come in to the third, she put the pressure on. It was getting messy; it was getting tangly, but I knew I was up on two.’
Daina shared her thought process going in to the final round “The third round I knew she was going to fly, because she was too rounds down. I expected it, but, it was really messy. I got tangled in the ropes at one stage, and I got a count so I was like…What the hell!”
The two have met before and Daina said that experience was helpful “When I knew I was fighting the Bulgaria – obviously, I boxed her to qualify for the Olympic Games – so I suppose it was nice, knowing what she was like and having a game plan.”
Lisa O’Rourke is an 80kg quarter finalist, following an utterly dominant performance in her Last 16 contest against Vasiliki Stavridou of Greece Lisa forced two standing counts in the third round, and won all rounds on all cards. Judges scored the bout 30:26; 30:26; 30:26; 30:26; 30:25. Lisa is back in action in Tuesday’s Evening Session, where she’ll take on 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist, Emily Asquith.
Speaking to Grainne after her bout, Lisa said “Delighted. Look, it’s been just over a year since I’ve been in the ring…Its hard work to get back in to the ring. I’m delighted to be here representing Ireland, and to get a win under my belt for my first bout. Happy days!”
She adds “I suppose I didn’t really expect to get this competition in this year, so its really just taking it as a bonus. We you go through an injury like that, you don’t take these moments for granted so, to get back in the ring in an Irish vest – Immensely proud.’
Jon McConnell is one win away from a European Elite Championship medal, following 70kg Last 16 victory over Poland. The Commonwealth Games champion contested against Tokyo Olympian and the 2026 World Boxing Cup Brazil champion, Poland’s Damian Durkacz, and claimed a 4-1 win. Judges scored the bout 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28; 28:29. Jon is back in action in Monday’s Evening Session, boxing for a medal against Gabriele Guidi Rontani of Italy, the reigning Mediterranean Games champion and a World Boxing Cup China bronze medalist at 75kg.
Speaking to Grainne after his bout, he said “We knew he was a quality operator, but I stuck to the tactics, giving that lead hand every time. Catching him with the jab. I think it was level on three going in to the last, and a good last minute of the last round. Good fight, and fair play to him”.
Jon is fresh from winning gold at the Commonwealth Games, and has contested at Strandja, and World Boxing Cups. He says that’s standing to him “This is sort of my coming-of-age year this year, on the back of the Commonwealths. Winning the Europeans is a step up. Two down, three to go. Gold medal only.”
An excellent performance in a testy bout, but not to be for Shannon Sweeney in her 48kg Last 16 contest. She boxed Italy’s Chiara Mosetti, and won the first round 4-1, before receiving a count in the second in a contest fought largely at close distance. The final score was 4-1, and judges scored the bout: 28:29; 28:29; 29:28; 28:29; 27:30. Shannon, of St. Anne’s BC Mayo, can be proud of her European Elite Championship journey.
Of boxers yet to make their debut in Sofia, 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. That bout is in Monday’s Afternoon Session. The victor in that bout will contest for a medal against either Poland’s Olga Pavlina Papdatou or GB’s Amy Broadhurst.
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.
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.
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. The complete album is here
How to Watch
Eurovision Sport will broadcast the complete championships here: https://eurovisionsport.com/en/home
The RTE Player will broadcast full sessions in which Team Ireland box here: https://www.rte.ie/player/
Day Three | Preliminaries
Four Team Ireland boxers are between the ropes on Sunday; one of whom boxes for a medal.
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. That’s Bout 4 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session, at around 12:15pm.
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. That’s Bout 5 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session, at around 12:30pm.
And heavyweight Paris Olympian, Jack Marley, also has a bye to the Last 16 and will take on Aryan Panah Saed of the World Boxing Refugee Team in Bout 10 of the same ring and session, at approximately 1:45pm.
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. That contest, Bout 2 of Ring A’s Evening Session, gets underway at 4:15pm.
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