Triple joy for Ireland as Daina Moorehouse, Jenny Lehane and Gráinne Walsh qualify for Olympics

It was a case of third time lucky for the 22-year-old, who was very unlucky not to get the decisions in quota bouts at the European Games last year and again at the first Olympic qualification tournament in Milan in the spring.

She had one scary moment in Bangkok when the referee docked her a point for dropping her head in the second round, but it is a tribute to her determination and composure that it didn’t knock her off her stride as she secured a comfortable 4-1 win over Zlatislava Chukanova from Bulgaria.

Moorehouse is the ninth Irish boxer to qualify for the Paris games and the third today, with Grainne Walsh and Jenny Lehane booking their spots earlier today.

Moorehouse, who boxes out of the Enniskerry Boxing club, was conceding height to the Bulgarian, who was beaten by another Irish boxer Shannon Sweeney in the gold medal fight at the European championships last month.

Moorehouse’s demeanour at the end indicated that she knew she had done enough to win, but she couldn’t celebrate given the heartbreak she had experienced before.

But this time justice prevailed with Moorehouse winning on scorecards of 29-27, 29-27, 29-27, 29-27, 29-29. Only the Ukrainian judge, the only European official in the fight, gave the Bulgarian the last round.

As soon as the decision was announced the tears flowed freely as Moorehouse, a double European gold medallist at underage level celebrated becoming an Olympian.

She is the ninth Irish boxer – a record number – to qualify for the games and the sixth women which means that Ireland qualified a female in every weight division they contested.

Head Irish coach Zauri Antia said he was delighted. “I am very happy for her, she deserves it. It is fantastic to have a full women’s squad contesting the Olympic Games.”

It was a magic morning in the Indoor Stadium Hua Mak in Bangkok earlier in the day for Irish boxers Jenny Lehane and Gráinne Walsh who also secured their tickets to the Paris Olympics.

The pair produced dominant performances in their quota fights at bantamweight and welterweight respectively to increase Ireland’s boxing squad for the Paris Games to eight.

Five of the team bound for Paris are females which underlined the growth and strength of Irish female boxing. Katie Taylor’s historic Olympic gold medal in London 12 years ago has had a profound impact on Irish sport.

Lehane, a primary school teacher from Ashbourne, left her job two years ago to focus on boxing and the 25-year-old is now a first-time Olympian.

Walsh, from near Tullamore in County Offaly, has taken a circuitous route to the Olympics.

A litany of hand injuries hampered her development. She was singularly unlucky not to qualify at the first Olympics qualification tournament in Milan in March when she was the victim of a poor judging decision in her quota fight.

But she stuck to her task and ignored all the controversy over her selection and the decision of Amy Broadhurst to switch to the UK squad.

Ultimately the decision of head coach Zaur Antia to keep faith with Walsh (28) who boxes out of the St Mary’s club in Tallaght was totally justified today.

Lehane was first into the ring against Hungarian Hanna Lakotar. Boxing from a southpaw stance Lehane went to work straight away with a good left over the top before trapping their opponent on the ropes and landing three shots in quick succession.

It took the Hungarian a while to get her jab going and Lehane dictated the pace in the opening three minutes so it was disconcerting to see two of the judges give the round to the Hungarian.

It was more of the same in round two with Lehane boxing beautifully and although the Hungarian came forward more often, she was being constantly caught by Lehane with a right hook and a big left catching the eye midway through the round.

The Ashbourne fighter was landing the clearer shots and this time all five judges gave her the round.

She was now in pole position to win the fight. Lakotar had no option but to come forward which left her vulnerable and Lehane cruised through the round boxing off the back foot.

When the final bell sounded, she was overcome with emotion. She knew she had done enough to win comfortably, and the judges’ scorecards confirmed this with the former taekwondo star winning on scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.

Lehane, a member of the DCU Boxing didn’t lace a pair of boxing gloves until she was 20 but now, she is heading to the Olympic boxing tournament in July.

“I feel on top of the world. This is the stuff dreams are made off. I can’t believe it. We sat down together (with the coaches) and put the tactics together. I stuck to my simple boxing and that’s what going to over the line today,” she said.

“I can’t wait to give my boyfriend Shane a hug and my coach Derek (Ahern). I know they would love to be here with me,” said an emotional Lehane who comes from a family of eight.

Half an hour later it was the turn of Gráinne Walsh, whose club coach Noel Burke has guided the career of Olympic champion Kellie Harrington, to face her moment on destiny.

She had never boxed her Armenian opponent Ari Hovesepyan, but the Irish coaching staff were familiar with the southpaw as she was beaten by Ireland’s Lisa O’Rourke in the quarter-final of the 70kg class at the World championships in Istanbul in 2022.

Dropping down to welterweight she had a heavy punch and stopped her New Zealand opponent in the previous round.

But right from the first bell Walsh underlined her intent by going after the Armenian who responded by catching Walsh on the jaw.

But Walsh has been on a mission all week in Bangkok winning her three previous fight on 5-0 verdicts.

Hovesepyan tried to show the pace down as the pair traded big shots. It was a tight round; Walsh was marginally more accurate the crucially she got the verdict from all five judges.

The second round hung on the intervention of the Indian referee who penalised the Armenian for holding and docked her a point which put her under pressure.

Walsh won the round on four of the judges’ card which put her within touching distance of that elusive Olympic spot.

Hovesepyan had no option but to go for a knock-out in the last stanza but it was Walsh who dictated the pace with beautiful combinations.

As the TV co-commentator said she had the ‘boxing skills to pay for the bills.’

The PA announcer made a hash of pronouncing Gráinne but it mattered little as Walsh fell to her knee when the official verdict came.

Her guttural roar was the release of years of pent up emotion mixed with delight.

She had waited her entire life for this moment. But on scorecards of 30-26, 30-26, 29-27, 30-26, 30-26 she had become an Olympian.

“It is extremely hard to sum up in words this feeling. I feel it was all meant to be. I feel like I qualified back in Milan and I came to Bangkok to collect my ticket. I believe everything happens for a reason. I am just so delighted. I am over the moon,” said Walsh.

Her father and a number of her siblings travelled to Thailand for the tournament. She thanked them as well her mother and brother who remain in Ireland as well as the community in Tullamore.

“I am actually so proud of myself. It has been a long road and it is only the start,” said Walsh who alluded to the faith the coaches had shown in her.

“The road I have been on. All the knock-backs. It all had to be for this reason and I feel like if I had turned around and walked away, some people might have done that.

“But for me each time I got a knockback it set me up and added more strings to my bow for this moment and that’s why this moment is all the sweeter for me.

“I actually can’t believe it. I have lived his moment over in my mind a million times. For it to actually come true now is unbelievable,” said a delighted Walsh.

It was also a morning to remember for the Irish coaching staff of Damien Kennedy, James and Lynn McEnery to celebrate.

Head coach Zaur Antia has stayed in Ireland to continue training the six boxers already qualified for Paris.