Boxing Ireland National Performance Director ¦ MSc Coaching & Performance Science ¦ Critical realist | Views my own.
Dublin City, Ireland
Joined October 2018
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Jon Mackey retweeted
CHAMPION OF THE WORLD 🥇
Team Ireland's John Donoghue has just won his second World title.
He was the 5-0 winner in a nailbiting 70kg final against Bibarys Ashirbay of Kazakhstan, which was level going in to the last.
John, of Olympic BC Mullingar, is a two-time World medalist and the reigning European champion at the weight. His path to the podium has included wins over Maksim Rybak of Belarus, Itzhak Avrutis of Israel and Armenia’s Artyom Stepanyan
Joint top 4 nation in the medal table, out of 43 European boxing nations. Apart from that, there’s something special about being part of an Irish Boxing Team. #builtdifferent
What a team!
Team Ireland return from the European Elite Championships with four medals, superb performances, invaluable development experience and 5th place in the medals table out of 43 federations.
More here: boxingireland.ie/euro-elites…
Jon Mackey retweeted
Aoife O'Rourke has won a gold medal in the women's 75kg category at the European Elite Boxing Championships in Bulgaria rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/092…
Jon Mackey retweeted
🎥 Highlights of Lisa O’Rourke’s quarter-final win ⬆️
Lisa O’Rourke through to the semi-finals after a dominant performance in Sofia!
O'Rourke secured a unanimous decision victory over England’s Emily Asquith, the 2025 World Boxing Championships silver medalist. #TeamIreland
Jon Mackey retweeted
Medal for Jon McConnell as Michaela Walsh and Jude Gallagher adavance in Sofia
Another good day for Team Ireland at the European Elite Championships.
rte.ie/sport/boxing/2026/092…
“But philosopher John Heil calls this out as an intellectual sleight of hand. “Emergence,” he argues, doesn’t reveal hidden truths—it masks our ignorance, mistaking gaps in explanation for gaps in reality.”
Interesting take 👇🏼
Scientists and philosophers have fallen for a tempting buzzword: “emergence.”
It’s invoked to explain life, consciousness, and the flow of time: when simple parts combine, it is claimed, they sometimes produce new entities with powers their parts could never predict.
But philosopher John Heil calls this out as an intellectual sleight of hand. “Emergence,” he argues, doesn’t reveal hidden truths—it masks our ignorance, mistaking gaps in explanation for gaps in reality.
"Philosophers disagree on many things—on the nature of causation, for instance—but disagreements over emergence are more unsettling," argues Heil.
It’s time to drop the magic word and face the real challenge: uncovering, in concrete detail, how simple parts can give rise to complex wholes.
Tap the link now to read more. iai.tv/articles/emergence-ex…
This isn’t coordination.
Coordination is the functional organisation of the body’s available DsOF so that they work together to achieve a task goal.
Doesn’t mean moving smoothly, having good technique, or in this instance reproducing an ideal movement pattern.
The overarching assumption in all skill acquisition debates is that athletes WANT to learn the way you think they SHOULD learn.
Jon Mackey retweeted
Boxing is on the road to recovery — but there’s still work to be done. That’s the view of Irish National Performance Director Jon Mackey ahead of the team’s departure to Brazil for the World Boxing Cup.
@WillDalton01 | #VMSport
Jon Mackey retweeted
They've arrived!
Team Ireland have landed in Liverpool and are en route to their World Boxing Championship tournament base. They'll have a light shake-out session this evening, and will prepare for tomorrow's draw.
500 boxers from 60 federations are contesting these championships, the first at which men and women will vie for World gold, together.
Boxing at the M&S Arena takes place September 4th to 14th and you can watch live on Eurovision Sport:
eurovisionsport.com/en/media…
Jon Mackey retweeted
Yesterday’s final day of the Team Ireland @RealWorldBoxing sparring camp in Sheffield.
Team Ireland have returned home to taper, after spending 10 days sparring among 18 federations and 144 boxers.
There’s just 7 days to go until the first bell at the World Boxing Championships at the M&S Arena, Liverpool.
Jon Mackey retweeted
With up to 40 Paris Olympians competing at @RealWorldBoxing Championship - Team Ireland's Grainne Walsh the boxing with be top class.
Grainne, herself a Paris Olympian, is representing Ireland at 65kg and is finishing up her camp alongside 144 boxers from 18 nations in Sheffield.
17 Team Ireland boxers will be among 500 from 60 nations vying for the top of the podium at the M&S Arena from September 4th
For tickets (£15 adults, £5 concessions), news & the full competition schedule go to worldboxingliverpool.com
Jon Mackey retweeted
Team Ireland’s Team Co-Captains for @RealWorldBoxing Championships have been named and are: Adam Hession of Monivea Boxing Club, Galway, and Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Roscommon.
Aoife is a four-time continental champion and a double Olympian; while Adam is a former Olympic Federation of Ireland Paris Scholar. Adam is no stranger to Team Captaincy, having held the role at the 76th Strandja Memorial Tournament in February – coming home with bronze, to boot. Adam and Aoife will represent Ireland at the World Boxing Championship Opening Ceremony.
The Co-Captains were collectively by the 17 boxers gearing-up to contest the championships. They are among 144 boxers from 18 federations putting the finishing touches to their preparations at a training camp at GB Boxing’s Olympic Training Centre in Sheffield. Federations taking part include: USA, Kazakhstan, India, Germany, England, France, Poland, Canada, Korea, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Philippines, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Kosovo and Slovakia.
For tickets (£15 adults, £5 concessions), news and the full competition schedule go to worldboxingliverpool.com
More here:
iaba.ie/hession-orourke-to-c…
Jon Mackey retweeted
Team Ireland has departed for Sheffield, and a multi-nations camp ahead of the World Boxing Championships in September.
144 boxers from 18 nations are participating in this camp, taking place at GB Boxing’s headquarters in Sheffield. In addition to Ireland, nations include: USA, Kazakhstan, India, Germany, England, France, Poland, Canada, Korea, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Philippines, Lithuania, Saudi Arabia, Kosovo and Slovakia.
High Performance Director, Jon Mackey, says "Our preparations for the World Boxing Championships have so far included a 7 week bloc of training in the High Performance Unit, a domestic sparring camp with Hungary and Norway, and attending a multi-nations sparring camp in Germany. This 10 day Sheffield camp is the final part of our preparations, and the quality of sparring there will be superb - steel sharpens steel. I've been impressed by the professionalism, discipline and commitment shown by all 17 members of the team. They are where they need to be in terms of their readiness."
More here:
iaba.ie/team-ireland-depart-…
