County Roscommon, the Irish boxing family and sports fans throughout Ireland are this week toasting the latest successes of Castlerea’s world class ‘boxing sisters’, Aoife and Lisa O’Rourke.
Already much-decorated at European and world level, Aoife and Lisa both won gold medals at the European Championships last week.
Lisa was crowned European Elite 80kg champion following a thrilling, power-driven final against 2023 World champion, Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian last Thursday.
Aoife followed up on Friday by becoming 75kg champion of Europe with a resounding win over Turkey’s Büşra Işıldar in a highly physical contest which was full of pace and power.
It meant sisters Aoife and Lisa both won gold in a stunning double success for Team Ireland – and Roscommon!
Aoife’s opponent in the final is a multiple World and European medallist, but she couldn’t handle the double Olympian from Castlerea, who claimed the victory 5-0. Judges scored the bout 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:26; 29:28.
This was Aoife’s fourth confederation level title (2019, 2022 & 2024), in addition to her 2023 European Games gold. Aoife’s journey to the top of the podium included wins over 80+kg World Champion, Poland’s Agata Kaczmarska and Russia’s 2025 World Champion, Saltanat Medenova.
Speaking to Boxing Ireland’s Grainne Walsh at ringside, Aoife said: “We all want to get in and we want to perform and reach this final stage, but to actually have it happen again for my fifth time, including the European Games, I honestly can’t believe it right now. It’s really special, and I’m just looking forward to enjoying the moment.”
Aoife added: “You can’t be looking too far ahead and get distracted by other things. We only have this moment here now, and there’s no point worrying about the future. It’s not going to get you anywhere and cause you a headache. I’m trying to be a lot more present, and the same for my boxing. When I’m in the ring, I’m in the ring and I’m in boxing mode.”
And of her sister, Lisa, who won 80kg gold on Thursday, Aoife said: “We’re riding the waves right now, but we will look back when we’re older and reflect on such special memories that we had together, and it goes down in history, like being sisters on the same team. I’ve seen Lisa through all her injuries, and to finish on top of the podium last night, nobody deserves it more. She put in so much hard work behind the scenes to get to this moment.”
Aoife was also awarded the ‘2nd Best Female Boxer of the tournament’ accolade.
Hall of Fame honour proposed for boxing stars
A Hall of Fame honour for boxing champions Lisa and Aoife O’Rourke has been proposed at Roscommon County Council following their European title wins.
Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice raised the proposal at Monday’s monthly meeting, suggesting that such an award could recognise outstanding achievements in sport and other fields.
“We’re very, very proud of them,” he said, proposing that the sisters be considered for the honour.
Councillors from across the chamber paid tribute to the Castlerea athletes, with Cllr Ruth Conboy highlighting the dedication behind their success.
“It takes a huge amount of resilience and commitment all year for many years to perform at an elite level and to bring home medals,” she said.
Cllr Leah Cull described the sisters as “not just two phenomenal athletes but two phenomenal people”.
A long-standing supporter of the pair, she praised the backing they receive from Castlerea Boxing Club and the wider community, describing their achievements as a success story to be proud of.
Cllr Emer Kelly called their success “a massive achievement” and congratulated them on what they had accomplished in a short space of time. She also highlighted their contribution to the representation of women in sport.
Cllr Liam Callaghan described the sisters as “great ambassadors for the country and the county”, while Cllr Valerie Duffy praised them as “role models for upcoming generations of young people and particularly young girls and women in sport”.
The proposal will first go before the council’s corporate committee before returning to elected members for consideration.
Cllr Fitzmaurice also paid tribute to their coach, Paddy Sharkey, and said he had met the sisters at Castlerea Boxing Club that morning: “They’re back at work straight away. They’re very, very focused.”
‘Two of Roscommon’s greatest-ever sporting stars’
Seamus Duke
After last week’s heroics in Sofia, there is a danger that the consistent level of excellence and success achieved by Lisa and Aoife O’Rourke might mean people are beginning to take them for granted.
I hope that is never the case, because the achievements of these champion boxers – who both won individual gold at the European Championships last week – mark them out as two of Roscommon’s greatest-ever sporting stars.
It was incredible to watch Aoife and Lisa in action last week. Here were two sisters performing at the very highest level of their sport, competing for – and ultimately winning – gold medals at the same tournament.
Listening to the sisters in interviews, including on the Roscommon People podcast last year, it is obvious how grounded they are. That is no surprise to anyone who has met their parents, Kevin and Ann, and seen where they get that quality.
There are no airs or graces. They get on incredibly well, clearly love training and have a genuine passion for boxing.
When they travelled to Chicago in 2025 to compete in the Hyrox World Championships and returned with a gold medal in the doubles event, it added another remarkable achievement to an already impressive CV. And that is without mentioning their involvement in rugby and Gaelic football over the years.
To list all of their achievements would take up far too much space, but one statistic says plenty: the sisters have amassed ten senior medals at major tournaments, eight of them gold. That is an astonishing record.
Two siblings from a small county and a tight-knit community performing at such an elite level on the international sporting stage is both remarkable and rare.
Aoife and Lisa are proud of their family, proud of their community, proud of their county and proud of their country. And the great thing is that they are not finished yet. Not by a long way.
We are lucky to have been around to witness what they have achieved. And, judging by everything that has gone before, there is much more to come.
Lisa’s Thursday thriller!
Lisa O’Rourke was crowned European Elite 80kg champion following a thrilling, power-driven final against 2023 World champion, Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian last Thursday.
The 4-1 split decision was scored: 29:28; 30:27; 30:27; 28:29; 30:26. Lisa’s path to the top of the podium included wins over England’s 2025 World Championship silver medallist Emily Asquith, Ukraine’s Iryna Lutsak and Vasiliki Stavridou of Greece.
Speaking to Boxing Ireland’s Grainne Walsh, the 2022 World champion and 2025 World silver medallist said: “I’m delighted. I didn’t know what way it was going to go when it’s your first (European) tournament, and getting four wins from four and boxing three back-to-back days.
“It was tough, and it was all new and at a new weight class. I’m delighted to be on the top of the podium at the end of it all.”
Tribute to Paddy!
Team Ireland’s High Performance Director and EEC Team Leader Jon Mackey paid tribute to Paddy Sharkey, the first coach to work with Aoife and Lisa O’Rourke.
Commenting last week, after the Roscommon sisters both landed gold in Sofia, Mackey said: “I want to pay credit to Paddy Sharkey of Castlerea Boxing Club, the club where Aoife and Lisa fell in love with boxing and why they’re here with us this week.”
