Setanta’s knockout rise continues

Setanta Boxing Academy in Newbridge only opened their doors in 2017, yet the club has already had a seismic effect on Kildare boxing. Setanta was established by Head Coach, Michael Lambe, alongside his wife, Margaret, and Fran Dempsey from Rathangan. Margaret, who is one of the few active female referees and judges at national level, was the referee for a recent Kellie Harrington fight.

“We started out with a small number of boxers. The two first members were my own son and daughter Michael and Esther,” Michael Lambe told The Kildare Nationalist.

“I had boxed with Kilcullen BC and had very fond memories and love for the sport. I had retired from the Defence Forces and had a background in training and education. Along with that I was a fitness instructor, personal trainer and a boxing coach.

“The club was opened as a not for profit to give children the opportunity to train and learn boxing. It has been a tremendous success from those first few members to a current membership of around 100 young boxers from seven years old to 21.

“In the ring, the club has had an unbelievable success story. We have been best club at the Kildare Championships regularly and currently hold the cup for the 2026 season. At Leinster and National level, we haven't been found wanting, with over 60 National titles. Esther Lambe has set the standard winning ten of them. Young Tomas Carroll is in pursuit with five at only 15 years of age.

“We have had boxers box on National teams against many countries around Europe. We have had boxers represent Ireland at European and World Championships.” 

Setanta has produced a long list of prolific boxers, including European gold medallist, Elma Barry; European silver medallists Esther Lambe and Alana O'Brien; European silver and bronze medallist Georgia McGovern.

One of Setanta’s biggest success stories is 16-year-old Newbridge boxer, Saoirse Donnelly, who recently made her debut for Ireland at the U17 European Championships in Montenegro. She joined the club nine years ago at just seven years old and went on to win four Leinster titles and two national titles.

Donnelly told us just how much she enjoys the positive, nurturing atmosphere at Setanta, saying her fellow boxers are “like family” to her, and described the coaches as “unmatched.” Lambe was quick to return the praise. “Saoirse was one of the first young boxers to join and I could instantly see that she had a real flair for the sport,” he told us.

“There are some children join and you can just see the enthusiasm that they have for boxing. She was a shy young girl and arrived in with her grandad (two time All-Ireland champion, Johnny Donnelly), who had obviously passed on his love for boxing.

“Saoirse had a real desire to learn the art of boxing and loved to train and spar. She had an incredible technical ability from a young age. As an underage boxer she had a few exhibition bouts and loved the competitive nature of boxing.

“Saoirse travelled to Sweden with Setanta at underage level and boxed Diploma grade (light contact technical boxing) in the Golden Girl Championships. This tournament caters for all ages and levels. So, she would have been on a team with more experienced boxers but loved the comradery of the team while away.

“When Saoirse reached the age of 11, she became eligible to box in championship boxing. In her first year she won Kildare and Leinster Championships. She reached the National final and just came up short with the judges against a Dublin opponent who went on to box for Ireland.

“In her second year of championship boxing, Saoirse claimed the Irish Title. She who was born in 2010, which was a very competitive year of boxers, with some of her opponents over the years claiming European Championship medals. Saoirse was never deterred by the level of opposition and stuck to the task. She continued to believe in her training and ability.

“She had gained great experience boxing away with her club in Sweden, England, Latvia, Croatia, Portugal. Over the course of the years, you could see her constant development and improvement.

“In 2026 alone she had beaten a top young English champion in the semi-finals of the Golden girls and then just lost out in the final to a current European champion. That was in January and in March 2026 she boxed in Riga where in the semi-finals she just lost to a European medallist from Georgia. These performances built her confidence and belief that she was capable of boxing at the highest international level.

“Then qualification for European Championships through National under 17s during the summer months. When most girls and boys Saoirse's age were enjoying the summer holidays she was training up to six days a week.

“This effort was rewarded and she won the Nationals, however, Saoirse still needed to convince the national coaching team that she deserved her place on an Irish team. To do this she went on training camps with National team and was selected. This gave her the long-awaited opportunity to put on an Irish vest and represent her country in Budva at the European under 17s.

“There is no doubt that the opportunity has given Saoirse a desire and hunger to represent Ireland again. In my mind Saoirse can go as far as she wants in the sport and there is no doubt that her Irish vest will be well worn by the time she hangs it up.” 

Donnelly will be one of eight boxers that Lambe will be sending to Sweden early next year to represent Setanta at the 2027 Golden Girl Championship - the largest female boxing tournament in the world, attracting over 500 boxers for last year’s competition.

“The Golden girls bring girls from all over the world together to box for the title of Golden girl champion. Setanta boxers have boxed girls from as far away as India and Canada. It’s a tournament we have travelled to every year and it certainly has contributed to the success of the club and has helped build an incredible team of young female boxers over the last nine years,” Lambe explained.

“We will return to the Golden girl Championships in Boras, Sweden in February with a team of nine boxers, seven of which are National champions. Eight will compete from under 15s up to Senior Elite level with one coming like Saoirse did many years ago as an underage diploma boxer.” 

The full team is Saoirse Donnelly, Esther Lambe, Lexi King, Aoibheann Cahill, Ria Kelly, Lilymae Nevin, Ali Gorman, Rebecca Kavanagh, Lola Tobin.