Offaly boxer chases Olympic qualification

A TULLAMORE boxer is chasing qualification for the Olympic Games later this year in Parish and has been named on an eight strong Irish boxing team to compete in the first qualifier in Italy next month.

Grainne Walsh, now a member of St Mary's Boxing Club in Tallaght, will be biding to secure her spot in the Olympics in the first qualifier which takes place at Busto Arsizio, near Milan in Italy,from February 28 to March 12. The second qualifiers takes place in Banghok, Thailand from May 23 to June 3.

Walsh, a member of a well known Tullamore family, is competing in the 66kg class and it has been her long time dream to make the Olympics ticket.

Four quota places are available in Busto Arsizio in each weight in the IABA contests – Women’s 50kg, 54kg, and 66kg, and Men’s 51kg, 57kg, 71kg, 80kg and 92+kg. This means that a quarter finals win will mean a place at Paris is assured.

A total of 248 boxers will compete in boxing at Paris 2024, with 124 women and 124 men taking part. France, as host nation, have secured six automatic quotas for the Games – three for men and three for women, while there will also be nine Universality Places awarded, with five for women and four for men.

Already some Irish boxers have secured their place in the Olympics: reigning lightweight champion Kellie Harrington, Tokyo Olympians Aoife O’Rourke and Michaela Walsh, and Jack Marley and Dean Clancy. All booked their tickets to Paris at the 2023 European Games in Nowy Targ, Poland.

Walsh has been one of the best female boxers in Ireland for several years, winning national titles and competing internationally. Fiercely driven, she has battled back from injury problems and is preparing hard for what will be an extremely competitive and tough qualifier.

The Irish team is:

50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow

54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin

66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin

51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin

57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone

71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast

80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford

92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin