Cavan boxing club find themselves without a home once more

While Cavan boxers are celebrating further international honours and the club committee received confirmation from the IABA that they were to attain a Sports Council grant of up to €25,000 to upgrade their training facilities, Cavan BC now find themselves homeless once more from November 1.

It is a sad situation but businesses, like boxing clubs, have to struggle on and now for the eighth time in just over 30 years, the most successful club in the county is forced to find new a new gym and sadly see the much-needed funding lost.
It is hoped that given the fact that the club is coming into one of its busiest periods for the younger boxers that alternative or temporary accomodation can be acquired as soon as possible and the fighters’ preparation can continue with the minimum of interruption.
Cavan coach and founder member Brian McKeown has seen the club train in various halls and venues over the years that even included the club boxers having to train on the street for a period and yet go on to win national titles. Now, with the opportunity to really bring the club’s facilities up to a really acceptable level and on a par with most other major sporting groups in the county, they find themselves homeless once more.
The club’s troubles have received a sympathetic response from the sporting press and will receive extensive coverage in the coming weeks as the search for a new home intensifies. It is hoped that the available funding will be carried over and a commitment from the IABA to do all in their power to ensure this is most welcome
While the gym has taken all the attention in the last few weeks, it is very easy to forget the success of the boxers produced and no less than three of their top fighters are presently scheduled for major international competition.
Just this week, the Excutive of the Olympic Council of Ireland rubber-stamped the selection of the first five athletes to compete in the Inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2015. This competition will be one of the first qualifying competition for the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The three boxers selected include Cavan’s Ceire Smith who will join both Olympic gold medalist Katie Taylor and Commonwealth silver medalist Michealla Walsh on the first step to South America. It is a welcome boost to the Ballyhaise girl, currently studying at DCU, as she was cruelly deprived of the opportunity of competing at her third World Senior Championships in Korea next month due to surgery on a long-term injury. Smith hopes to fit in at least one contest in Britian prior to the Irish seniors and having just returned to full-time training, is eager to see some ring action before defending her Irish Elite title in January.
Another Cavan boxer bound for Eastern Europe this week is 16-year-old Joe Nevin who travels to Anya Napa to represent Ireland at the European Cadet championships. The tall Cavan boxer had been around the finals for a number of years and while it took him five years to finally win an Irish title, he did it in style, taking the Irish Youth crown in May then jumping two weight divisions to qualify for European competition by taking the Irish Cadet title in June.
The Mullingar native was awarded the Cavan Boxer of the Year at the club’s annual awards night in The Well in Cavan last weekend, leaving for a training camp in Russia the following Monday.
On the pro scene, John Joe Nevin returns from the US on Monday to wind up his preparations for the big O3 show on November 15. The show is a Matchroom promotion going out live on Sky and no doubt promoter Eddie Hearn will use every opportunity to build up a return contest with the Olympic champion Luke Campbell, also promoted by the Matchroom team
However, Nevin’s promoters Greenblood have their own path to a World Championship contest mapped out with a US campaign so an opportunity to see one of Ireland’s top talents is not one to be missed.
While Nevin’s opponent will be a step-up in class from the luckless Calvin Stifford wiped out in the first minute of John Joe’s comeback contest in the States a few weeks ago caution and a planned is imperitive as Nevin battles back from horrific and what many thought were career-ending injuries just six months ago.
While John Joe expects stiffer expectations, he is not going to follow the route of following Luke Campbell’s opponents and trying to better his results for comparison. John Joe will do it his way and if Campbell stands in his path, so be it as he already holds no fear of the Olympic champion who he has already defeated twice at amateur level.
It certainly is never dull on the Cavan boxing scene and regardless of any setbacks, there is still plenty of life in the club yet and hopes are high that the Cavan community will rally and support their boxers.