Offaly's Grainne back home as Olympic dream comes true

OFFALY'S newest Olympian Grainne Walsh is back on home soil after booking her place in this summer's 2024 games in Paris.

The Tullamore boxer sensationally qualified for her first Olympics by coming through a series of tough tests in a tournament in Bangkok.

The Tallaght Boxing Club fighter, who had originally built her career with the Tullamore-based Spartacus club, fell to her knees in the ring and shrieked “Yes!” when the unanimous decision in her favour was announced in the decisive bout.

Indeed, she won all the contests by unanimous decision, justifying her faith in herself and in her selection by the Irish boxing authorities for the qualifying rounds.

Speaking after the last fight, she said: “It’s extremely hard to sum up in words this feeling. I feel like it was all meant to be.”

She added: “I feel like I qualified back in Milan and I came to Bangkok to collect my ticket. I believe everything happens for a reason and I’m just so delighted and over the moon.

“Having my family here, I have my dad here, my brother and my sister and the support of the nation and the community in Tullamore at home, my mam and my brother.

“I’m actually so proud of myself. Yeah, it’s been a long road and it’s only the start.”

Asked what finally got her over the line for qualification, the boxer said: “I think the faith that the coaches have shown in me, the road I’ve been on, all the knock backs, it all had to be for this reason.

“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 knock back 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’ve lived this moment over in my mind a million times and to actually have it come true now, it's unbelievable.”

Walsh came into the contest in super form having won each of the three previous fights 5-0.

The first round against the Armenian was reportedly close but the judges ruled that the Offaly woman had won it and in the second round Hovesepyan was penalised for holding.

Because the Armenian was behind on points going into the final round she was committed to finishing the fight by a knockout but Grainne had the skill and guile to ensure that was never going to happen.

Commenting afterwards, Ireland head coach Zuar Antia indicated his optimism about Grainne Walsh's prospects in Paris: “I feel very happy, well deserved, a fantastic win. Grainne is a very high-class boxer. She has great medal potential in the Olympic Games.”

Grainne is no stranger to success at the highest levels of international competition. She has won bronze in European contests and in January last year she won the Irish National Elite Championships 66kg title by beating world and European light welterweight champion Amy Broadhurst.

In between those successes however, she endured those knock backs she referred to in her post-fight interview in Bangkok.

She was desperately unfortunate to suffer a thumb injury early in 2020, just when all boxers had their eye on the plane to Tokyo for the Covid-delayed Olympics that year.

The thumb problem proved very difficult to fix and dogged her for a long period before finally coming right after surgery in Belfast.

The interruptions almost derailed her career completely and she missed out on world and European championships.

She also had a mishap in her home gym when a dumbbell weight fell on her foot and injured a toe resulting in surgery at Tullamore Hospital.

But when she was back fighting fit again she showed how good she was, notably with the national elite title victory over Broadhurst.

Then her route to Paris was knocked off course yet again in March when she was on the wrong end of a split-decision against Poland’s Agneta Rygielska in the first Olympic qualifying tournament in Milan.

That reversal put her into the last chance saloon of the gruelling qualifiers in Bangkok where she prevailed along with three of her Ireland teammates.

In all, Ireland will be sending a record 10 boxers to the Olympics in July and August, underlining this country's strength in the sport.

Grainne Walsh, a daughter of Killeigh man Gerry Walsh and the journalist Geraldine Grennan, who is originally from Kilcavan, signalled her sporting potential in her teens when she excelled in soccer, was signed by Shamrock Rovers and won an Ireland Under 17 cap.

The former NUIG student switched to boxing and with the help of coach Dima Dmitruk has followed the path of her idol Katie Taylor, who also starred on the soccer pitch and in the ring.