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Boxing club in fight over accommodation

Tuesday, 29 April 2008

A SUCCESSFUL Northside amateur boxing club claims it has had to close down because it can no longer make full use of its boxing ring.
Members of Baldoyle Boxing Club say they have been forced out of their training premises in the community hall on Main Street, Baldoyle, because the club’s permanent boxing ring can only be used on a temporary basis.
However, the community development organisation in charge of the hall has strenuously denied it wants the boxing club out.
Young boxers at the club, which includes six-times Irish champion Conor Ahern, who narrowly missed out on an Olympic Qualifying spot recently, arrived for their very last training session at the community hall last Thursday night (April 23).

Head coach Ned Hendricks, who founded Baldoyle Boxing Club in 1983, explained that the club had been using a boxing ring that was permanently put in place on an old disused stage at the community hall over three years ago.
However, he said the club was recently informed by Baldoyle Forum, the community development project in charge of the hall, that the ring would have to be removed to allow for extensive renovations.
“We were told that when a new stage was put in place, the club would not be allowed to put its ring back up permanently,” Mr Hendricks stated.
“Baldoyle Forum said that as they wanted the stage to be used by other community groups, we could place our ring underneath the stage and erect it ourselves each time we came in for training.”
Mr Hendricks said that as the boxing club only used the community hall for brief periods on a Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, it would not have the time to do this.
“I made it clear to Baldoyle Forum that if there was no permanent boxing ring in place, then there would be no more boxing club,” Mr Hendricks added.
“It got to the stage where I have even been forced to resign from my position in the club and that has come about solely because we have been forced out of our boxing ring.”
Brian Beasley (25), a member of Baldoyle Boxing Club, said he was devastated the club has closed down.
“Baldoyle Boxing Club has been absolutely fantastic for our area, giving many young lads a chance to do something other than hanging around on the streets,” he said.
“There are 30 young lads boxing for the club right now and both they and the coaches put their heart and soul into it, so it is a massive shame that we have been forced into this situation.”
However, Tom Moran, general manager of Baldoyle Forum, told Northside People it had no intention of forcing the boxing club out of the hall.
“Baldoyle Forum fully recgonises the fantastic work of Baldoyle Boxing Club and at no point have we said that we want them to leave,” Mr Moran said.
“We received funding for essential upgrade works at the community hall, which included developing a new reinforced stage.
“We informed the boxing club three months ago that it would need to take its boxing ring off the stage to allow for these works.”
Mr Moran said that as there were many other community groups who also wished to make use of the hall, it was decided that the new stage would only accommodate a temporary ring.
“The idea was that we would have four posts imbedded into the new stage, which would allow for the rest of the boxing ring to be stored underneath in a hollow part of the stage,” he explained.
“The club could then slot the rest of the ring into place before each training session and box away on the stage’s main floor.
“We have told the club that we will do whatever we can to keep them in the community hall and have no intention of giving away their allotted times.”
Meanwhile, Ned Hendricks told Northside People that the club would be willing to continue if it could find alternative accommodation.
A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council said that as it believed the club would continue training in the community hall, it has not sought alternative accommodation for the boxers.
“To my knowledge, Baldoyle Boxing Club has not contacted Fingal County Council in relation to alternative accommodation to date but we would be happy to meet with them to discuss the situation,” the spokeswoman stated.

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