Wexford girl wins semi-final and is now in final of National Youth Boxing Championship

A Wexford woman’s stardom continues to rise…

Young Wexford boxer, Kayleigh Byrne who fights out of Gorey Boxing Club, was fighting in the semi-final stages of the National Youth Championships in the National Stadium in Dublin last night.

She came into the fight in good form, having defeated Amy Choquet of Dunboyne Boxing Club on Friday night in the quarter-finals.

Despite having some war wounds and a bloodied face following the entertaining bout, 16-year-old Wexford boxer Byrne overcame her opponent, Hannah Masterson of Clonard Boxing Club, in the semi-final on Saturday evening.

She won by a unanimous decision on the judge’s scorecards, placing her into the final of the 52kg division.

Byrne, who won a Bronze medal in last year’s European Youth Boxing Champions, has also claimed a national title on two occasions and won the Box Cup four times.

She has became a force to be reckoned with in recent times and her stardom is continuing to rise in the boxing scene.

Kayleigh’s national final will take place next week in the National Stadium on the morning of Saturday 18th January 2025.

Meanwhile, Emily Midwinter, who fights out of Rosslare Boxing Club, also entered the girl’s competition.

In the boy’s competition, James Cullen Phillips (54kg) and Cian Cooney (60kg) were fighting in the quarter-finals of the male competition on Saturday. Both boxers fight out of South East Boxing Club, located in the village of Cleariestown in Wexford. Jack Cannon Monkstown D defeated James Cullen Philips in the quarter-final, while Cian Cooney lost out to Aodhan Scott of Glengormley in his respective quarter-final.

Patrick Kelly (63.5kg) of St Abbans/ Kilmyshall beat Sean Stafford (Blessington) on a unanimous 5-0 decision in the prelims. Since then, he also won his quarter final against Sean Gray (Clonard A) which took place at Drimnagh Boxing Club Kelly on Sunday. Wexford’s Patrick Kelly will now take part in a semi-final next Friday.

Another Gorey boxer, Cillian Sheridan, was entered into the competition at 63.5kg. Sheridan also fought on Saturday, but he lost out to a talented Ballymun boxer, Rahman Abdulnasser, by split decision, with his coaches saying “that he should count himself very unfortunate not to get his hand raised.”

Another Rosslare Boxing club member – Blake Dunne, who won the Wexford Box Cup in 2024 – has entered the competition at 75kg. Blake lost out to Jason Whelan (Dublin Docklands) on a 3-2 split decision on Saturday.

It means that Kayleigh Byrne and Patrick Kelly are the only remaining Wexford boxers bidding for glory in the National Youth Championships in Dublin.