The war in Ukraine has had many effects in many areas, just one of which is the ban on Irish athletes competing against Russian athletes. Or at least, Irish competitors have been "strongly encouraged" not to compete against their Russian opponents. This was the scenario that faced 15-year-old John Donoghue, when he got to the quarter finals of the Junior World Boxing Championships in Armenia earlier this month. But, as Joe Duffy recounted on Liveline, the government told the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) that there would be no sanctions if John fought the Russian quarterfinalist. So, fight him he did. And he won. And then he won the semi-final. And then... Ireland had its newest world champion. John and his mother Brigid spoke to Joe and Brigid described John's training in the run-up to the tournament:

"Oh God, it was blood, sweat and tears twice every day. He was cutting his eating habits, it was tough. It was tough. But it was worth it in the end."

It sure was. Joe asked John what he was thinking when it looked like he might have to give his Russian opponent a walkover.

"That was bad. It was just devastating, really."

John only heard a few hours before the fight was due to take place (or not, as the case may be) that he was going to be allowed get into the ring. Joe asked him about his preparation – was he nervous?

"No, not at all. Confident."

This despite the fact that John describes the Russian fighter as "very big". Having accounted for the Russian in the quarter final, John then came up against a Greek boxer who was a two-time European champion. The Greek was "small, but very strong". But he was defeated as well, leaving John to face Uzbekistan’s Ulmasov Khikmatillo in the final.

John – who's in fifth year – started boxing when he was 9. And the Mullingar teenager is not the only boxer in the family: his younger brother Jason won silver in the European Championships. As Joe put it, Brigid will be needing a new cabinet to display all the medals and trophies that the boys are winning. Let’s hope she needs an extension in the future.

And Brigid told Joe a little bit about John – and Jason’s – club, the Olympic Boxing Club in Mullingar:

"We are a small boxing club and you’ve got, like, two European champions, three European silver champions, two European bronze, world champion and league champion and they need a lot of support. It keeps all these kids off the street. They’re amazing what they do for the children."

Amazing is the word. Too young for Paris next year, John is determined to be at the Olympics in 2028. It’d take a brave person to bet against him.

You can hear Joe’s full chat with John and Brigid by clicking above.