Returning Harrington seeks 12th Irish Elite title
Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington is targeting a 12th Irish Elite title at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night.
The 36-year-old, who announced her retirement following her victory over Wenlu Yang at the 2024 Games in Paris to retain the lightweight title, announced a comeback last year and returned to competitive action in December at the Odivelas Box Cup in Portugal, claiming gold.
Harrington booked her place in Saturday's national final with a unanimous victory over Zara Breslin last weekend and will face defending lightweight champion Kellie McLoughlin who overcame Ella McDonald in her last-four bout.
While the prospect of reaching a third Olympic Games in 2028 appeals, the Dubliner said national honours must be secured when confirming her comeback.
"It could be all over by January anyway," Harrington told the Irish Times.
"I'll never look past the Nationals because anything can happen."
Walsh seeks to extend record to 13
In all, 17 finals will go down for decision at the National Stadium with Belfast's Michaela Walsh, who holds the Irish record of 12 Elite titles, seeks to add another when taking on Sarah Cunningham in the lightweight final.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games champion and two-time Olympian won last year's separate National Elite Competition when the re-branded Boxing Ireland – previously known as the IABA – made the switch to World Boxing from the IBA.
Another of Northern Ireland's 2022 Commonwealth Games winners, Jude Gallagher is through to the featherweight final, but his unanimous decision win over Gavin Ryan in Friday's semi-final was hard earned.
The County Tyrone man enjoyed a good opening round, but Ryan responded well in the second to level it on three of the cards, yet Gallagher found the answers in the last to advance into a meeting with Adam Hession who beat Adam Kiely in the first semi-final.
Belfast's Caitlin Fryers also emerged from Friday's semi-finals, defeating Niamh Early on a unanimous decision and will now face Paris Olympian Daina Moorehouse who defeated reigning flyweight champion Shannon Sweeney. Moorehouse defeated Fryers in the 2023 final.
Clepson dos Santos, 2025 flyweight champion, makes the step up to face bantamweight holder Patsy Joyce and his Holy Trinity clubmate Jon McConnell will defend his light-middleweight title against Terry McEntee.
The Belfast man was in superb form in Friday's semi-final, dominating Ryan Jenkins throughout the contest to set up a meeting with Terry McEntee who edged Cian Cramer 3-2.
North Down's Garyn McAllister will take on Olympian Jack Marley in the heavyweight final, while Gilford super-heavyweight Willie John McCartan meets Martin McDonagh.
Reigning world middleweight champion Aoife O'Rourke defends her 65kg title against Shauna Kearney, while younger sister and 2022 world light-middleweight champion Lisa will seek to retain her 70kg crown against Evelyn Igharo.
Irish Elite finals (from 6pm)
80kg: Keelyn Cassidy (Saviours Crystal) v Josh Olaniyan (Jobstown)
54kg: Jennifer Lehane (DCU Athletic) v Robyn Kelly (Ballynacargy)
75kg: Gavin Rafferty (Dublin Docklands) v Tadgh O'Donnell (Jobstown)
60kg: Kellie Harrington (St Mary's, Dublin) v Kellie McLoughlin (St Catherine's)
65kg: Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott) v JasonNevin (Olympic Mullingar)
75kg: Aoife O'Rourke (Castlerea) v Shauna Kearney (Bunclody)
50kg: Louis Rooney (Star, Belfast) v Sean Mari (Monkstown, Dublin)
65kg: Grainne Walsh (St Mary's, Dublin) v Linda Desmond (Rylane)
55kg: Patsy Joyce (Olympic Mullingar) v Clepson dos Santos (Holy Trinity, Belfast)
51kg: Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry) v Caitlin Fryers (Immaculata, Belfast)
57kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family GG, Belfast) v Sarah Cunningham (O'Rourke's)
60kg: Adam Hession (Monivea) v Jude Gallagher (Two Castles OBA)
70kg: Lisa O'Rourke (Castlerea) v Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa)
90kg: Jack Marley (Monkstown, Dublin) v Garyn McAllister (North Down)
85kg: Nathan Ojo (Esker) v Robbie Olusola (Celtic Eagles)
70kg: Terry McEntee (DCU Athletic) v Jon McConnell (Holy Trinity, Belfast)
90+kg: Martin C McDonagh (Galway) v Willie John McCartan (Gilford)
