DCU student wins bronze medal at European Boxing Championships

DCU student Clare Grace has won a bronze medal for Ireland at the European Boxing Championships in Bucharest. Grace, a product of the Callan and DCU boxing clubs, has become only the second ever Irish woman after Katie Taylor to secure a senior boxing medal at the European Championships.

Grace, a Sports Science and Health student in DCU’s School of Health and Human Performance, had just finished her second year exams last week when she met up with the Irish Girls’ Elite Team before travelling to Bucharest for the Championships. The 20 year-old is the first Kilkenny athlete to box at this level and has won the last four senior Irish titles in her weight division.

Fellow DCU student Ceire Smith, also studying Sports Science and Health, joined Grace in Bucharest this week but was knocked out in her preliminary bout against Turkish boxer, Caskun Elif Nur, on Tuesday afternoon. Smith, a Cavan native who has just completed her first year at the University, also studying Sports Science and Health, was beaten by virtue of a split decision.

Brian MacCraith, President of Dublin City University, spoke about the strong DCU representation in Bucharest:

“It has been a remarkable achievement that, days after completing their exams, two DCU students have represented their country at an elite level of boxing. I would like to congratulate Clare on her efforts over the past number of days in securing a medal for her country and commiserations to Ceire on her very unlucky defeat on Tuesday. Each boxer has shown remarkable dedication to both boxing and their studies at the University and will certainly be prominent figures in Irish women’s boxing for some time to come.”

DCU Boxing Club provides students of the University with the opportunity to achieve a healthy weight, improve fitness and enhance self-esteem while also aiming to reduce students’ stress levels while teaching self-defence skills. A number of successful boxers have passed through the University, most notably the late Darren Sutherland who won a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games.