Class of 2019 finish high up the European School boy/girl championship medal table
Team Ireland finished fifth in the medals table and 4th in the rankings table at 30-nation European Schoolboy/girl Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The tournament concluded yesterday with Ireland claiming 2 gold, 6 silver and 10 bronze.
Dubin’s Adam Olaniyan and Wexford’s Caoimhe Kinsella won titles in the Georgian capital.
Irish boxing has now won 19 gold medals at this level (schoolgirl boxing was introduced in 2018) since the inaugural tournament at Rome 2003.
The class of 2019 improved Ireland’s all-time European Schoolboy/girl Championships haul to 119 medals in Tbilisi.
The squad arrived home via Dublin Airport this morning to a very well-attended reception.
The medal count now stands at 19 gold, 31 silver and 69 bronze since the inaugural tournament in Rome in 2003.
Some of the stand out names of Irish boxing, including Beijing 2008 and Rio 2016 Olympians John Joe Joyce, David Oliver Joyce and Joe Ward, have medalled at this level.
Former WBA/IBF champion Carl Frampton reached the 50kg final in Rome 16 years ago.
Female boxing was introduced last year and so far the Girls in Green have secured 20 medals, four of which are gold.
Ireland’s European Schoolboy/girls champions are David Joyce (2003), Willie O’Reilly (2004), Stephen O’Reilly (2004), Michael O’Reilly (2007), Michael McDonagh (2007), John Joyce (2012), Oliver McCarthy (2012), James McGivern (2012), Michael Nevin (2012), Aaron McKenna (2013), Jordan Myers (2013), William Hayden (2016) Jason Myers (2016), Yasmin Meredith (2018), Kaci Crowley (2018) Winne McDonagh (2018), Michael Faulkner (2018), Caoimhe Kinsella (2019) and Adam Olaniyan (2019).
The 2019 squad claimed the most medals but the 2018 team took home the most gold.
Before the tournament doubled up as a male and female competition, the 2012 squad were the best performing side with three gold medals.
Meantime, John Joyce (2010/11), Barry McReynolds (2013/14) and Katie O’Keeffe (2018/19) are Ireland’s two-time European Schoolboy/girl medallists, while Irish boxing has never failed to medal at this level.
