Boxing Club on the move soon
After almost 45 years in the JFK Hall, Kilcullen Boxing Club is getting close to moving into its new premises at the Community Centre campus.
The state of the art new facility is currently being fitted out by Kilcullen Homes Limited and should be ready for training use in a couple of weeks.
Amongst the facilities will be a permanent ring, a maple floored general training area which can also be used for seats during tournaments, a sauna and gym as well as associated changing rooms, toilets and showers.
The Club has a long history. It was first established in the 1940s after the mother of local lad Jim 'The Brad' Berney's mother presented him with a pair of boxing gloves and along with pals such as Pat Lynch a first tournament was held in a barn on Hillside.
It subsequently moved to a more permanent premises further down the hill, where they were trained by a Corporal Guilfoyle who was stationed on The Curragh. By this time there was quite a cohort of members, including Fr Ned Connors, Jack brennan, Paddy Aspell, Dick Jeffers and Paddy Bathe.
Corporal Guilfoyle, who had boxed for Ireland himself, was a stern fight master and the lads took their boxing seriously. "He pulled no punches, and you either mixed with him or you got out of the way," Pat Lynch recalls. "But he was a lovely fellow."
At the end of the 40s, the club moved on again to the loft at the back of what was to become The Hideout pub, courtesy of the late Jim Byrne Jr. Jim Berney recalls that amateur boxing in Kilcullen was arguably in its heyday in that era, producing an Olympics representative with Colm McCoy.
The club members fought in tournaments all over Ireland, and also took part in the re-enactments during the 50s of the Donnelly and Cooper fight at Donnelly's Hollow, as part of the national An Tostal festivals programme.
The move to the new JFK Hall happened just after President John F Kennedy was assassinated, hence the name. It is pictured below, today a little the worse for wear.
Jim Aspell is chairman of the club, and coaches include Joe Orford, David O'Brien, Stephen Thackerbery, and Billy Aspell.
Brian Byrne.
