Coach Paul O’Toole’s consoling words helped resurrect distraught Irish flyweight’s Olympic dream It wasn't all plain sailing for Daina Moorehouse in her pursuit of a place at the Olympics. Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Moorehouse, right, comfortably won her three fights in Thailand, including this victory over Zlatislava Chukanova of Bulgaria, to secure her Olympic slot. Photo: Joe Walsh/Sportsfile 2 July 2024; Team Ireland Boxer Daina Moorehouse pictured during the team day for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin.
Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile 2 July 2024; Team Ireland Boxer Daina Moorehouse pictured during the team day for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile Paul O’Toole remembers the first time he laid eyes on Daina Moorehouse. Her mother, Malissa, was dropping off her son Michael to boxing training with O’Toole in Enniskerry GAA club and Daina came into the gym with them.
She took one look around before disappearing. She was tiny, shy and not remotely interested in boxing. Even though her home in Bray was five minutes away from Katie Taylor’s house and both attended St Killian’s Community School – though obviously at different times – Daina wasn’t into boxing.
She does remember Taylor’s gold medal fight at the London Olympics, though. “We were on holidays in Portugal. We went to see it in an Irish bar and there.
