A new home for Jobstown Boxing Club ‘would make a world of difference’

JOBSTOWN Boxing Club was called out in Croke Park in front of 82,000 people as Adam Olaniyan won his latest professional bout, but the club are “like a tin of sardines” in their current home.

The club based in Kiltalown nurtured the talent of Tallaght’s Olaniyan and have continued to do so with other talents picking up titles nationally and abroad, but it has created these gems from a home with no heating, no changing facilities and no shower.

In 10 years, the local boxers have risen to the top on the national stage and talents like Olaniyan are being created and a promised €1.25 million is planned to be spent on them by the local council from now until 2028 to help deliver a new home.

Club President Jerry Boyle noted that there has been no contact from the council since the funding was announced in the Three-Year Capital Programme 2026-2028 at the beginning of the year.

Per the council document, €50k is to be spent this year, with €200k planned for 2027 and €1m for the final year of the three-year programme, in what is a commitment to provide the club with a new home better suited to its needs.

However, the club’s President noted that it has not received communication from the local authority on the project.

President Boyle said: “Unfortunately, we don’t really have much of by way of an update. In fact, nothing because we haven’t heard from the council.

“We haven’t heard a single word since that announcement was made.”

Coach Amanda Spencer noted that a new home “would make a world of difference” and that current premises are not up to scratch.

Amanda said: “We’ve operated out of a building that has no changing rooms, no heating. We’re like a tin of sardines.”

She noted that the group have little space to be able to operate out of, given their size at the moment, and that there are no changing facilities or showers, with only one toilet on-site.

Despite all that, the club has been able to produce fighters like the 20-year-old talent that took down his opponent in one round at Katie Taylor’s farewell event and more youngsters who are primed to shine.

“We’ve got six heading to the big Europeans this year, and we’re in the same situation. We’re training them out the same type of facility.”

South Dublin County Council has been contacted for comment.