Boxing club faces financial bruising
Just like former World Super Bantamweight champion Bernard Dunne, Longford Boxing Club has been on the receiving end of a few punishing right hooks in its time. While one mulls over his boxing future, the other is keeping its fingers crossed of nailing down a permanent home before Christmas or run the risk of going into extinction.
Much uncertainty has surrounded the fate of boxing in the town in recent months with finance and the lack of viable premises threatening to undermine its long term prospects.
Now its chairperson Seamus Butler has managed to solve its 'homelessness' at least until the end of the year.
"We did a deal with the owner of a premises on Little Water Street that has given us some breathing space until Christmas. It came from proceeds I obtained from my libel action against the Irish Independent. The €1,000 that I donated has bought the rent of the building until Christmas," the former councillor explained.
Community development workers Ann Maher and Josephine Stroker from Acorn have been working hard to keep the club going but Seamus admits that difficult times lie ahead.
Despite being an 'armchair fan' of the sport, Seamus still knows enough to realise the importance of preserving the club for its members and the wider town in general.
"I don't know very much about boxing but we have some very good boxers and very good people. The reason I got involved was to try and solve some of the problems around the town.
"It's the discipline of boxing though that is the biggest contribution. The essence of the club is that the vast majority of participants in it don't play any other sport. They train twice a week, it's just a great outlet for them," he added.
However, he goes on to explain that the club is facing a huge challenge in the New Year but he is hopeful that the community will support the club through fundraising.
"We will look at fundraising and that sort of thing," Seamus admitted. "It looks as though we will stagger through to Christmas but there is no getting away from the fact that we have a very bleak future ahead."
If you would like to donate or support Longford Boxing Club, contact Acorn at 043 33 48373.
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Weather for Longford, Ireland
Sunday 05 February 2012
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