Athlone Boxing Club looks to the future after successful year

Local club hoping for new premises

A host of talented young members of Athlone Boxing Club were presented with awards on Sunday, as the club looked back on what was described as its most successful year since being founded in 2006.

The club’s awards night took place at the Mardyke Bar and honoured the achievements of its members who took home Leinster and All-Ireland championships this year, while also winning multiple medals at the Michael Andrews tournament and the Barum Box Cup in England.

The awards were presented by club coaches Rory Parkes and Joe Ward, local councillors Aengus O’Rourke and John Dolan, and club supporter John Cusack.

For the last 17 years Athlone Boxing Club’s gym has been in the basement of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul. In their remarks on the night, Parkes and Ward spoke about their ambition to move the club to a new state-of-the-art premises in the coming years.

“It’s great to be associated with a club where you have so many young people who are so dedicated, and have that drive and motivation to succeed in the sport,” said Parkes.

“We are working really hard on trying to get a new premises. Our current facilities are basic enough, and it’s testament to everybody here that, with the facilities we have, we’re still able to produce the champions that we produce.

“We are always trying to be on an upward trajectory with the club, and trying to take it to the next level.”

Joe Ward, the professional light heavyweight, said he was delighted to be able to “give back my knowledge and experience” to the young members of the club.

“It’s an honour for me to be part of this. We are striving to become the best club in Ireland, and we really believe we can be,” said Ward.

“We have such talented boys and girls in the club and we’re hopefully going to be developing and expanding in the next number of years.

“We think it’s time that we gave these kids, the generations to come, and the people of Athlone, an opportunity to come to a state-of-the art premises where they can train and where we can hold Leinster championships.”

Councillors O’Rourke and Dolan both said they would support and assist the club in its efforts to move to a new home.

“The time has long passed now where Athlone Boxing Club needs to have its own premises, to hold bouts in comfort, and to have visiting clubs down.

“It’s not good enough for yourselves, and for your visitors, that you have a facility that doesn’t have toilets, showers or changing rooms,” said Cllr O’Rourke.

Cllr Dolan added: “It’s easy to support people who are as enthusiastic as you are. Myself and Aengus work well together, and we hope to work together to support you.”

Boxers from the club who were presented with awards honouring their achievements in 2023 included: JP Joyce, Joe Ward Jr, Oisin Donoghue, Joe Joyce, Christy Joyce, Tom Stokes and Rian Hayden.

Special awards for ‘most improved boxer’ and ‘boxer with most potential’ were presented to two of the club’s younger members, Sinead Olszowka Phiri and Jerry Joyce.

Presentations were also made to acknowledge the many hours given voluntarily to the club by coaches Rory Parkes, Joe Ward and Davie Joyce.

* For more photos from the awards event, see the sports section of this week's Westmeath Independent.