Darren O'Neill
Born
Paulstown, Ireland
Statistics
Height6 ft 0+1⁄2 in (184 cm)
Medal record
Men’s amateur boxing
Representing  Ireland
World Golden Gloves Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Waldorf Light-heavyweight
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2010 Moscow Middleweight
EU Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Odense Middleweight
Silver medal – second place 2014 Sofia Light-heavyweight

Darren O'Neill is an Irish amateur boxer. He won a gold medal at the 2009 EU Championships, and silver at the 2010 European Championships and 2014 EU Championships. He also captained Ireland's boxers at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[1]

Boxing

O'Neill claimed all honours around him in Ireland at underage levels, as well as playing for Kilkenny U-21 hurley team.[2] He finished second at light-heavyweight at the National Championships 2005 and 2006 behind Kenneth Egan.[3] O'Neill has since won four national middleweight championships and two heavyweight championships where he has excelled. He lost to Darren Sutherland on a close decision in 2008.[4] He also lost out on a chance to compete at an Olympic qualifier to Sutherland in an IABA box-off.[5] O'Neill was also 2009 European Union champion and 2010 European silver medalist.[6] In the 2010 European championships he defeated four opponents including medal favourite Sergey Derevyanchenko of Ukraine before losing to Artem Chebotarev of Russia in the final.[7] He was named the captain of the Irish boxing team at the 2011 European Championships.[8] He secured automatic Olympic qualification for the 2012 London games in the World Amateur Championships 2011. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London he again captained the Irish boxing team, but went out in the last 16 to Stefan Härtel.[1] He bore the flag for Ireland at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. By 2015, he had moved up to heavyweight, reaching the Irish final.[9]

In July 2019 he announced his decision to turn professional.[10]

See also

RTE's collection of O'Neill articles - https://www.rte.ie/sport/search/?q=darren%20o'neill

References

  1. 1 2 Hogan, Vincent (2 August 2012). "Darren O'Neill's Olympic dream over after losing to 'awkward' German". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Taylor and O'Neill win gold in Turkey". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Egan to face O'Neill once again". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "National Amateur Championships round-up". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Sutherland reaches Olympic qualifiers". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Victories for Joyce and O'Neill". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Barnes takes gold, O'Neill settles for silver". RTÉ Sport. RTÉ. 12 June 2010. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  8. ↑ O'Neill, Michael (15 June 2011). "Darren O'Neill captains Irish boxers". Sports News Ireland. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "O'Neill into heavyweight final at first attempt". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Olympian Darren O'Neill to join pro boxing ranks at 33". the42.ie = 2016-08-18.
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