Kilkenny boxing trainer selected as Team Ireland Coach

Marble City Boxing Club head coach Garry Kehoe has been selected as Team Ireland Coach for the upcoming European schoolboy/schoolgirl championships scheduled for Slovenia (August 15-26).

It is a huge achievement for Garry to be selected. He is the first boxing coach from Kilkenny to be selected as coach of the Irish European Team and one of the youngest male coaches in Ireland to ever do so at only 26 years of age.

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He has climbed the ladder within Irish boxing at incredible pace having taken over the reigns of the well renowned Marble City Boxing Club at 19 years of age taking charge from his father Willie John, his uncle Ross Kehoe and his grandfather/founding member Noel Kehoe Snr who led the club to great heights since its foundation in 1992. 

Ahead of the championships, the team will embark on a multi-nations training camp in Poland where they will gain invaluable rounds of sparring against possible opponents.

Marble City Boxing Club have been riding the crest of a wave as of late just having finished their most successful season in the club's 31 year history.

The club saw eight of their young boxers reach the national championship stage, seven of those boxers would reach national finals with five being crowned the number one boxer in Ireland at their respective age and weight.

To have five number one boxers in the country all within the walls of one club based down by the River Nore speaks volumes of the work that has gone on behind the scenes.

On top of all this the club has maintained their record of claiming at least one gold medal at each international box cup they have competed in which is a phenomenal record dating back to 2017, some 15 box cups later.

They smashed their own records once again in Portugal at the prestigious Portimao International Box Cup this season where they picked up a record seven gold medals, two silver and two bronze from 11 boxers and claimed the overall best team award, the first Irish club to ever do so.

In July, the club ventured to Hull for the International Box Cup with seven boxers and claimed another four gold medals and finish joint fifth in the medals table.

There is no doubt that all this success has contributed to Kehoe getting the Irish call and the national team will be hoping that his coaching skills can help guide a very talented Irish schools team to European success.