Hat-trick of Irish medals at European Championships

Irish fighters Kurt Walker, Brendan Irvine and Joe Ward have secured at least bronze medal at the European Boxing Championship in Kharkiv in Ukraine.

Belfast’s Irvine – who fought for Ireland at the Rio Olympics last summer – brought home the first success of the day with a unanimous decision win over Spain’s Gabriel Escobar.

The flyweight was victorious on all five cards and secured Ireland’s first spot in the semi-finals.

Irvine will take on English youngster Niall Farrell, who earlier defeated double Olympian and EU bronze medalist Manuel Cappai, in the semi finals on Saturday afternoon.

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Later, Lisburn native Walker faced a closer contest against Italy’s Raffaele Di Serio, winning via a split decision (3-1) in their bantamweight clash.

Finally, Joe Ward made it a hat-trick of medals by beating young Scotsman Sean Lazzerini in the light heavyweight quarter finals with a dominant unanimous decision win.

Previously a two-time gold medalist at the Championships, Ward breaks another Irish record as he becomes the first Irishman to win three European Championships medals.

However, there was heartbreak for Sean McComb when he was beaten on a split decision by England’s Luke McCormack –just two days after his shock win over world number one Vitaly Dunaytsev.

Two judges gave the Irishman the victory but the other three gave it 29-28 in favour of McCormack.