Castlerea is set to host one of the biggest sporting events in decades, hosting a week-long international tournament and training camp for Ireland's Olympic boxing stars.
Announced live on Castlerea.ie this evening, the event at the local boxing club will run from March 30 to April 7 and will feature some of the biggest names in the sport.
Celebrities including Paris Olympic qualifiers Kelly Harrington, Michaela Walsh, Jude Gallagher, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley will be joined by local boxer and Olympian Aoife O'Rourke for a very special occasion. It's planned. town.
Aoife's sister Lisa, who is currently bidding to qualify for next summer's Paris Olympics, will also be centrally involved as action begins at the local club's home base at The Hub. .
An opportunity to attract some of the sport's biggest stars to the town was created when the High Performance Unit invited Castlerea Boxing Club to host a round-robin IABA tournament. The international tournament will feature teams from the Kazakhstan and Ukrainian Boxing Federations, as well as two Irish teams made up of members of the Olympic boxing squad.
Boxing activities will take place at Castlerea from 2nd to 6th April, preceded by a team training camp from 30th March to 1st April.
Public training sessions will be held during the week, giving locals the chance to watch boxers train and meet members of the Irish Olympic team.
A week of action in and out of the ring will prepare Irish boxers well for the Paris Olympics.
“We hope this event will create a lasting legacy for the region and also promote two of Castlerea’s boxers, Paris qualifier Aoife O’Rourke and Paris hopeful Lisa O’Rourke, who will provide real inspiration for the next generation. We hope that,” High Performance said. unit.
The announcement of tonight’s star-studded event at Castlerea.ie coincides with the launch of an associated iDonate fundraiser to help with the running costs of the event.
Cllr Pascal Fitzmaurice, who is actively seeking additional funding for the boxing spectacle, said it would be a very exciting time for the West Roscommon town.
“I think it will probably be one of the biggest sporting events to be held in Castlerea since the Connacht Football Final was held in this town many years ago. It will be the highest-profile non-football sporting event ever held.
“This will also be an economic stimulus for the town and Roscommon, with all the boxers staying in accommodation within the county. “We hope it will also attract a lot of attention from the national media,” Chief Fitzmaurice said. said.
