Olympians Brendan Irvine, Joe Ward and Darren O’Neill are in semi-final action at the National Elite Championships at Dublin’s National Stadium tonight.
Irvine is in against TJ Waite in an all-Belfast last-four decider, while World Elite finalist Ward, who is aiming for his fifth Elite belt, meets Michael Frayne.
O’Neill, who faces John Joe McDonagh, is targeting a seventh title at his 13th Championships, not that he has issues with the digit normally associated with bad luck.
“I don’t mind the number 13 at all, I was born on Friday the 13th so I can’t complain about it,” said the ex-European Elite silver medallist.
The Nationals have even more significance for Ireland’s male boxers this season as the champions will be in the driving seat for selection for June’s European Championships in the Ukraine, which will act as the only qualifiers form August’s World Championships in Germany.
Carol Coughlan and Kristina O'Hara get proceedings underway this evening in the first women's Elite bout over three, three-minute rounds.
Women previously boxed over four, two-minute rounds, but the International Boxing Association recently ruled that female bouts will now be the same duration as men. Likewise, women will now box a round less but a minute longer.
A second session of semi-finals will be decided on Saturday evening on the penultimate weekend of the Championships.
