Mayo boxing club floored by facility use shock

THERE is growing anger within Knockmore-Foxford Boxing Club and the community surrounding the old national school at Rehins outside Ballina after the club was asked to vacate the building having spent €5,000 refurbishing it.

Club officials were given the key to the premises, which they were planning to share with TUS, and had also been given a grant from Mayo County Council to do up the building.

It seemed to be the answer to the prayers of the club whose lease expired last June on their premises in Foxford.

But, in a dramatic development, the club were asked to vacate the premises. The reason they were asked to leave was because the building was being sold by the St. Muredach's Trust. The building belongs to the church but is held by a board of trustees.

The Bishop of Killala, Dr. John Fleming, had a meeting with representatives from both the club and TUS and had given both his blessing to use the premises, which had been lying vacant for five years and used as a community hall for the previous 60 years.

When contacted, the Bishop's office said the matter was in the hands of the trustees.

Local Councillor Seamus Weir, who is the new president of the boxing club and is also on the board of management of Rehins NS, said he was hopeful some compromise can be reached, otherwise there is a real danger that the club could be disbanded in the near future.

Councillor Weir was much involved in procuring the premises after he was approached by Billy Rice of KFC (Knockmore-Foxford Boxing Club).

"Billy Rice contacted me as he was looking for a premises. The club was desperate to find a place because their lease was nearly up and they could find no other building in Foxford or Knockmore to use as their gym.

"I was aware that Rehins old national school had become vacant and was handed over to the bishop.

"When I made enquiries with the bishop on behalf of the boxing club he told me that TUS had it with his permission.

"I contacted TUS and suggested the boxing club co-join with them to revamp the school and turn it into a community facility and also provide for the school children in the new school across the road.

"It was agreed, and the two parties and myself met the bishop who gave permission for both parties to enter the school but to keep a low profile until such time he would meet the trustees.

"After a few weeks the boxing club were asked to move out by TUS and afterwards both parties contacted me. There was an issue with the colour of the paints used inside the building at that time.

"I later got a letter from the bishop telling me the boxing club were not to enter the school and the only party that has permission to enter is TUS.

"The boxing club are homeless and if a premises is not found they will be disbanded and that is my biggest concern."

Leading the campaign is club coach Billy Rice, a man who has raised thousands of euros over the years for charities through boxing events, and he is flabbergasted at the latest development which has angered the boxing club committee and local community.

Billy explained some of the background which led to the current impasse.

"Last July we requested to use the premises as a community facility with two other groups - TUS and the local national school. Our proposal and the proposal by TUS was forwarded to the bishop in early July and we had a meeting with him at the end of July.

"Three members from KFC attended that meeting along with TUS. We told the bishop we were returning to training at the beginning of August and had no gym to train in as our lease had expired. He told us to 'work away under the radar and there should be no problem with trustees'.

"We were given the key of the building and our members spent five weekends cleaning it out and preparing it for painting. We had it power hosed from top to bottom and painted inside in our club colours.

"Plans were drawn up for an extension to the building and we had a machine clear away all the grass inside the yard.

"We spent €5,000 doing up the building. We also applied for a county council grant and we were delighted to receive €5,500 in grant aid to be paid when the building is refurbished.

"Now we are told the building is being sold and is not available to our club. There is lot of anger among our committee and parish about the way we have been treated," he said.

The club aim to stage a public meeting before the end of the month and get the support of all groups, committees, organisations and individuals in the parish to support them in their fight to have the building returned to the community.

At the moment the club are leasing Foxford Leisure Centre on a nightly basis and travelling to other clubs such as Swinford last week, Castlebar this week and Eagles in Westport next week to obtain ring experience for the young boxers.