Former Irish amateur boxing star Joe Ward is set to headline a boxing show in Donegal in November.
It will be the first event in Donegal in 13 years as small-hall shows continue to emerge in the Republic after a long period of inactivity for security reasons.
Ward (9-1, 5KOs) will headline the night in the Aura Leisure Complex in Letterkenny, with the card run by Sheer Sports, promoter of Donegal boxer Jason Quigley.
Ward, 29, is a three-time European amateur gold medalist and also won two silver and one bronze at the amateur World Championships and represented Ireland at the 2016 Olympic Games.
He is working with promoter Lou DiBella in America but has been permitted to return home to grow his support base in what will be his first fight on Irish shores.
The Moate southpaw will face Prince Oko Nartey (11-1, 10KOs) over eight rounds at light heavyweight on 18 November.
Ward was beaten on his professional debut after suffering a knee injury. However he has recovered well with nine victories in succession.
Rising Belfast boxer James McGivern will feature in the co-headline. challenging for the Celtic lightweight title.
The Walsh brothers, Liam and Paddy, will look to build their respective professional records.'
Liam Walsh (5-0-2, 2KOs) and 'Paddy Walsh (2-0, 1KO) will be against yet-to-be-confirmed opponents.
Dubliner Craig O’Brien will return to action in the north west and Donegal’s London-based super-middleweight Danny Boyle will get a chance to showcase on a home show.
Ukrainian super-welterweight Maksym Molodan, who is now based in Ireland, is back after quick-fire wins over Dmytro Klochko and Mykola Trofymenko in September and will look to announce himself in style to his new Irish audience.
"The card is stacked with unbelievable talent," said Quigley.
"It is an honour for us to have Joe Ward as one of the main fights. I boxed with Joe and competed with him for years as an amateur. If you look at his resume, he was one of the most successful in the amateur scene. Joe is working with Lou DiBella in New York and we’re working together on bringing Joe home for this fight.
"James McGivern is an absolutely fantastic talent and he can really go places. James and Tyler Jolly have won Commonwealth Games medals and they have fan-friendly styles that can make them special.
"The Walsh brothers are multiple national champions who are great talents and are very exciting in the ring.
"It’s very important to get local boxers on the local shows. When we’re bringing this to Donegal, we felt that it was important to give a Donegal boxer a crack at the show. Growing a fanbase from the roots up is vital in boxing and this will do Danny Boyle the world of good. It will be brilliant for the people of Donegal to shout on one of their own."
One-time world middleweight title challenger Quigley believes this can be the dawn of a new era for the sport in his native county.
He said: "The Aura is a fabulous venue and it's brilliant for us to be looking forward to bringing people in and putting Donegal on the map.
"I’m delighted to have the opportunity to put professional boxing back in Donegal again. I would love it if this could start something new, something fresh, something for boxing in the county.
"A show like this can show young boxers in the county what is ahead of them. It can encourage youngsters to give it a proper go and when you’re doing that it’s very important to bring the fanbase along.
"I really want the people of Donegal to get behind this. This will be a great night and some amazing fights will create a cracking atmosphere. This will be a night to remember and there will be moments that will always live in the minds of the people who are there. This could be a turning point for a new era in professional boxing in the area."
