Mayo boxer in Irish team for Euro Elite Championships
Boxing Ireland has announced the team to contest the 2026 European Elite Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria – and it includes Mayo native Shannon Sweeney, the 2024 European champion.
The St. Anne's BC (Westport) boxer is joined in the team by double Olympic champion Kellie Harrington, who will be representing Ireland at benchmark-event level for the first time since her historic Paris win.
Another double Olympian, the reigning world champion and four-time continental champion, Roscommon native Aoife O’Rourke, also features in the Irish team, along with her sister Lisa, the 2022 world champ and 2025 world silver medalist.
They are joined by six more Paris Olympians: Daina Moorehouse (51kg), Jenny Lehane (54kg), Jude Gallagher (60kg), Dean Clancy (65kg), Jack Marley (90kg) and 57kg Michaela Walsh, the Commonwealth Games silver medalist at the weight.
CWG 70kg champion Jon McConnell will also be competing in Sofia. The team is completed by world youth champion and European Under 23 bronze medalist Cliona D’Arcy, Evelyn Igharo (70kg) and Gavin Rafferty (75kg).
The European Elite Championships, taking place from September 15 to 26 in the Bulgarian capital, is a World Boxing ranking event in which 33 federations are eligible to participate.
The Irish team has been in camp since July and as the final part of their preparations, Boxing Ireland will host a multi-nations sparring camp at the High Performance Unit at the Institute of Sport from September 2 to 9. Participating nations will include Poland, Hungary and Finland.
The camp will form an important final phase of the preparation programme, giving Team Ireland the opportunity to work against high-quality international opposition before travelling to Bulgaria.
Interim High Performance Head Coach Damian Kennedy commneted: “There is huge experience and championship pedigree within this squad, with Olympians, world and european medallists, and established elite champions alongside boxers ready to make their mark on the European stage. That blend of experience, ambition and potential gives us a very strong team.
“The European Championships will be one of the biggest tests our athletes face this year, with an exceptionally high standard expected in Sofia.
“Following a productive training block, our focus now turns to the multi-nations camp, where we will use quality international opposition to sharpen the technical and tactical elements of our boxing and make those final adjustments ahead of competition. We’re looking forward to getting the team to Sofia and seeing them put all that hard work into action.”
High Performance Director Jon Mackey said: “There has been extensive preparation behind this team, with a strong focus on performance, conditioning and technical development, led by Damian and the High Performance coaching team.
“A key part of that work has been individualising preparation to the needs of each boxer, supported by the Sport Ireland Institute’s sport science and medicine practitioners across nutrition, strength and conditioning, and physiology.
“We’re also looking forward to welcoming boxers from Poland, Hungary and Finland for targeted sparring, providing valuable exposure to different international styles. Together, these elements give the team a strong platform as they approach the European Elite Championships.”