Irish Open Canceled for Third Consecutive Year

The Irish Open announced today via Facebook that their event will be canceled for 2023 due to the Citywest Hotel’s ongoing contract with the Irish Government Health Services. This prestigious tournament was one of the last to occur before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, taking place in March of 2020 when Elijah Everill and Dorina Szabó claimed the coveted open weight titles. This is now the third consecutive year that the promoters have been forced to cancel the event due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Irish Open is one of the largest martial arts tournaments in the world. The 2020 edition of the tournament featured over 42 countries and nearly 4,000 registrations. The event is ran as a nonprofit and proceeds are donated to the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC). A wide variety of martial artists have the opportunity to display their skills across kickboxing, point fighting, and forms/weapons divisions. The organizing committee consists of a volunteer group spearheaded by current WAKO President Roy Baker, and we are confident that they are doing all they can to bring the Irish Open back to sport karate fans everywhere as soon as possible.