New boxing club is a big hit

A NEW boxing club that was set up just this year is already proving a big hit on the Southside.

St Margaret’s Boxing Club began life as a charity white-collar event in January.

Jay Byrne started to train a group of lads between the ages of 15-30 for the fundraiser that was being organised to help a local man who had been hurt in a car accident in Thailand and needed an operation to save an eye.

The training lasted 10 weeks and ended with all the lads competing in front of over 300 people in the Sallynoggin Inn.

When the event was over some of the lads asked Jay if he could open a club and keep training them.

Jay contacted Elite Martial Arts in Glenageary who agreed agreed to give the new club a home.

A sponsored ‘hell run’ then helped pay for insurance costs and affiliation with the IABA.

The club was named after Jay’s grandmother who had died the year previous and Margaret’s Boxing Club was born.

Their first official boxing tournament took place in the Dublin Championships in the Green Isle Hotel last month.

In the words of the Dublin County Board, St Margaret’s

“absolutely smashed it” by taking four gold winner medals and three silver runner up medals.

Craig Williams went on to win

‘Boxer of the Tournament’.