Ireland will return from the World U19 Boxing Championships in Montenegro with six medals, including a world title for John Donoghue, but perhaps the strongest measure of the performance is the depth now evident across the Irish programme.

Nine Irish boxers have emerged from the Championships ranked inside the top five in the world at their respective weights, with Donoghue the new World Number One at 70kg.

It marks an impressive return from a competition that brought together a record 474 boxers from 69 countries in Budva, and it offers another indication of the strength of the next generation coming through the Irish boxing system.

Donoghue, representing Olympic Boxing Club in Mullingar, secured gold with a 5-0 win over Kazakhstan’s Bibarys Ashirbay in a tight 70kg final.

The bout was level heading into the final round before Donoghue won on the judges’ scorecards.

It adds another major title to an already impressive international record. He won World Junior gold in 2023 and arrived in Montenegro as the reigning European champion.

His route to the final included victories over Maksim Rybak of Belarus, Itzhak Avrutis of Israel and Armenia’s Artyom Stepanyan.

There was also a World silver medal for Wexford CBS lightweight Kalib Walshe.

Walshe faced reigning Argentinian and South American champion Edgardo Nicolas Peralta in the 60kg final, and Peralta won by unanimous decision, 5-0.

The Irish boxer nevertheless leaves Budva as the World Number Two after defeating Greece’s Nearchos Petros Konstantinoudis, Artur Avetisyan of Armenia and Algeria’s Smail Sahraoui.

The gold and silver formed part of a six-medal Irish haul.

Louise Joyce, also from Olympic BC Mullingar, added a World bronze at 48kg to her international record of three European medals.

Jason Donoghue, John’s brother and clubmate, also secured bronze, narrowly missing the final after a close semi-final against Spain’s Pablo Souto Macias.

Jason Whelan of Dublin Docklands BC returns as a World bronze medallist at 75kg, while Clonmel BC’s Kaysie Joyce also secured bronze at 70kg.

That medal spread is reflected in the rankings coming out of the Championships.

John Donoghue is ranked World Number One at 70kg, with Kalib Walshe Number Two at 60kg.

Louise Joyce is ranked third in the world at 48kg, Jason Donoghue third at 65kg, Kaysie Joyce third at 70kg and Jason Whelan third at 75kg.

Kayleigh Byrne is fifth at 51kg, Lee Largey Snoddon at 55kg, and Grace Bailey at 65kg.

That puts Ireland’s boxers among the world’s top five at U19 level across eight weight divisions.

Strength of the Club and High-Performance Pathway

Behind the success in Montenegro lies a network of clubs, coaches and volunteers whose work provides the foundations for Irish boxing’s continued competitiveness on the international stage.

The 12-strong team drew athletes from nine different counties.

Jennifer O’Sullivan Coffey of Sliabh Luachra Boxing Club in Kerry managed the delegation, supported by High Performance coach Eoin Pluck and coaches Garry Kehoe of Marble City Boxing Club, Fergus Turner of Enniscorthy, and Aoife Hennigan of Swinford.

They are part of a development structure that has consistently enabled Ireland to compete against nations with far greater populations and resources.

The next challenge will be translating the promise demonstrated in Budva into sustained senior-level success, where the physical and competitive demands grow and the margins for improvement narrow.

 

Sport for Business Perspective

An important distinction exists between producing an exceptional young athlete and developing a generation capable of sustaining international success. Ireland’s performance in Montenegro suggests that boxing has the foundations to pursue the latter.

As Ireland has increased investment in high-performance sport and the wrap-around support offered to athletes, we increasingly measure success not simply by medals won today, but by the strength and resilience of the systems that can deliver tomorrow.

 

 

Boxing Ireland is a full member of the Sport for Business community of sporting, business and state organisations.

If you would like to join the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the daily conversation around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.

Image Credit: Boxing Ireland

 

ABOUT SPORT FOR BUSINESS

Sport for Business is Ireland’s leading platform focused on the commercial, strategic and societal impact of sport. It connects decision-makers across governing bodies, clubs, brands, agencies, and public institutions through high-quality content, events, and insights.

Sport for Business explores how sport drives economic value, participation, inclusion and national identity, and how your story can be part of ours.

Through analysis, storytelling and convening the sector, it helps leaders understand trends, share best practices, and make better-informed decisions. It positions sport not just as entertainment but as a vital contributor to Ireland’s social and economic fabric.

Find out more about becoming a member today.

Or sign up for our Daily Sport for Business Snapshot email bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.

Sign up for our News Bulletins here.