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A fourteen‑member Irish boxing team, featuring Olympic double‑gold medallist Kellie Harrington and a mix of seasoned Olympians and rising talents, will compete in the first European Boxing Elite Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 17 to 25 September.
Kellie Harrington has been named as a member of a fourteen‑strong Irish delegation that will travel to Sofia, Bulgaria for the inaugural European Boxing Elite Championships.
The event, staged under the World Boxing banner, brings together athletes from thirty‑three national federations and will run from the seventeenth to the twenty‑fifth of September at the Asics Arena. Harrington, a two‑time Olympic champion who secured her second gold medal in Paris earlier this year, arrives in Sofia after adding a twelfth national title to her record in January.
She will be looking to claim a fourth European crown, a goal that mirrors the ambitions of her sister Lisa who lifted gold at the 2022 World Championships and will also be fighting on the Bulgarian stage. The Irish squad features a blend of seasoned Olympians and emerging talents.
In addition to Harrington and her sister, the team includes Aoife O'Rourke, Daina Moorehouse, Jenny Lehane, Michaela Walsh, Jude Gallagher, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley - all of whom represented Ireland at the Paris Games. Other notable names are Jon McConnell, the recent Commonwealth Games gold‑medallist from Glasgow, 2024 European champion Shannon Sweeney, World Youth champion Cliona D'Arcy, Evelyn Igharo and Gavin Rafferty.
The weight‑class line‑up lists Harrington at sixty kilograms, Igharo at seventy kilograms and Rafferty at seventy‑five kilograms, each drawn from respected Irish boxing clubs. Interim High Performance head coach Damian Kennedy highlighted the depth of experience within the group, noting that the blend of Olympic pedigree, world and European medals and rising elite champions creates a formidable team.
He emphasized that the Sofia championships will serve as one of the toughest tests of the season, with an exceptionally high standard of opposition expected. Following an intensive training block, Kennedy said the focus now shifts to a multi‑nation camp where Irish boxers will spar against quality international opponents to sharpen technical and tactical aspects ahead of the competition.
The schedule places the official draws on the sixteenth of September, giving athletes a final day to fine‑tune strategies before the opening bouts. Organisers have promised a vibrant atmosphere at the Asics Arena, with fans from across the continent expected to fill the seats. Irish supporters will be able to follow the action through live television coverage, and ticket information is already being circulated by the national federation.
The campaign in Sofia represents a key milestone for Irish boxing, offering a platform for both established stars and newcomers to demonstrate their skills on a continental stage and to build momentum for future world‑level contests
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