Offaly boxers travel for training camp ahead of World Championships

Two Offaly boxers are part of a 17 strong Irish team which have arrived in Sheffield for a multi-nations camp prior to the World Boxing Championships in September.

Reigning Irish Elite champions Gráinne Walsh from Tullamore (65kg) and Brian Kennedy from Daingean (85kg) will continue their participations for next month's championships in Liverpool with a ten day preparatory camp in the South Yorkshire city.

Tullamore native Grainne Walsh boxes out of the St Mary’s club in Tallaght. Having competed at the Paris Olympics in 2024, she boxed at a world championships organised by World Boxing's rival governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), in Serbia in March.

Meanwhile, this will be a first world championships appearance for Brian Kennedy, who boxes out of the St Brigid's club in Edenderry.

High Performance Director, Jon Mackey, said that he has been impressed by the "professionalism, discipline and commitment" shown by all 17 members of the Irish team.

"This ten day Sheffield camp is the final part of our preparations and the quality of sparring there will be superb - steel sharpens steel. The team are where they need to be in terms of readiness," Mackey added.

The World Boxing Championships take place from September 4 to 14. It's the first world championships to be held since April's vote by IABA clubs in favour of affiliation with World Boxing, which will also run the boxing tournament at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.