Double Olympic champion Kellie Harrington has been included in a 14-strong Ireland team for the European Elite Championships taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria next month.It will be the first time Harrington, who announced her decision to come out of retirement last October before going on to claim her 12th national title in January, will feature in an elite international competition since winning her second Olympic gold at the 2024 Games in Paris.Reigning World Champion Aoife O’Rourke will be out to add a fourth European gold medal to her tally, while her sister Lisa, who won gold at the 2022 World Championships, will also fight in Sofia.In addition to Harrington and Aoife O’Rourke, the Irish team features six further Paris Olympians in Daina Moorehouse, Jenny Lehane, Michaela Walsh, Jude Gallagher, Dean Clancy, and Jack Marley.Gold-medallist at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Jon McConnell is also included in the team, alongside 2024 European champion Shannon Sweeney, World Youth champion Cliona D’Arcy, Evelyn Igharo and Gavin Rafferty.The competition will mark the first European Boxing Elite Championships, coming under the World Boxing banner, with 33 national federations eligible to participate.Interim High Performance head coach Damian Kennedy said there is huge experience and championship pedigree within the team, “with Olympians, World and European medallists and established Elite champions alongside boxers ready to make their mark on the European stage”.He added: “That blend of experience, ambition and potential gives us a very strong team. The European Championships will be one of the biggest tests our athletes face this year, with an exceptionally high standard expected in Sofia.“Following a productive training block, our focus now turns to the multi-nations camp, where we will use quality international opposition to sharpen the technical and tactical elements of our boxing and make those final adjustments ahead of competition. We’re looking forward to getting the team to Sofia and seeing them put all that hard work into action.”The championships will take place at the Asics Arena in Sofia from September 17th-25th, with the draws to take place on September 16th.Ireland team for European Elite Championships48kg: Shannon Sweeney (St Anne’s BC, Mayo)51kg: Daina Moorehouse (Enniskerry BC, Wicklow)54kg: Jennifer Lehane (DCU BC, Dublin)57kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family BC, Belfast)60kg: Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s BC, Dublin)60kg: Jude Gallagher (Two Castles Olympic, Tyrone)65kg: Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim)70kg: Evelyn Igharo (Clann Naofa BC, Louth)70kg: Jon McConnell (Holy Trinity BC, Belfast)75kg: Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea BC, Roscommon)75kg: Gavin Rafferty (Dublin Docklands BC, Dublin)80kg: Lisa O’Rourke (Castlerea BC, Roscommon)80+kg: Cliona D’Arcy (Tobair Pheadair BC, Galway)90kg: Jack Marley (Monkstown BC, Dublin)