The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) partnership with An Garda Siochana is being highlighted, nationally, as a powerful tool of cross-community engagement.
Gardai have visited local boxing clubs across Ireland to deepen existing ties between our sport and the wider community.

The most recent Hi Garda event took place at Golden Gloves Boxing Club in Churchfield in Cork, and featured prominently in the Irish Independent and in The Sunday World.

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The initiative has been spear-headed by IABA National Treasurer, Larry Morrision Garda Boxing Club and Arbour Hill, Dublin’s Brian Sutton, both former serving members of An Garda Siochana. Larry and Brian are building on the rich tradition of partnership between IABA, boxing, and An Garda Siochana, which began with the association’s inception in 1911. The IABA would like to thank both Brian and Larry for all their hard work in helping to develop and drive this fantastic initiative.

In the 1920s, General Eoin O’Duffy placed recognised our sport as a gateway for integrating Gardai with their local communicates, and they assisted in the establishment of boxing clubs throughout the country. The IABA is also proud to boast a long history of competitive Garda boxing members, including Willie “Boy” Murphy, Dick Hearns and Jim Brannigan, and more recently, Niall Kennedy, Olympian Adam Nolan and Christina Desmond. The IABA also counts the Garda Boxing Club as one of its affiliated units.

Fantastic piece on our Hi, Garda programme, in partnership with @gardainfo, by Ken Foy in @sundayworld

This countrywide programme involves community Gardai visiting their local boxing clubs to speak with the boxers and volunteers.

More here:https://t.co/TaPVmN47yk

— IABA (@IABABOXING) November 25, 2021

IABA CEO Fergal Carruth says “The success of Hi Garda highlights the importance of each and every boxing club to their local community. One of the IABA core values has always been inclusivity. Our clubs and coaches across the country work, every day, with boxers of all abilities and all walks of life. That’s the spirit of our sport, and that spirit is well captured in Hi Garda”

Speaking to the Irish Independent, Superintendent Michael Corbett of the Garda National Community Engagement Bureau, says “These clubs are brilliant sporting organisations for young people who have an interest in this sport either to keep themselves fit or to box competitively…There is brilliant work being done across the country by the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) and An Garda Síochána is delighted to support this work in any way that we can”
Clubs who have hosted Hi Garda events include Holy Family Boxing Club in Ballsgrove, Drogheda Nutgrove Boxing Club in Rathfarnham, Dublin, Charleville Boxing Club in Co Cork and Celtic Eagles club in Briarhill, Co Galway.

Clubs are encouraged to make contact with their local Garda Station as part of the Hi Garda programme – a full list of station contact details is here.

ENDS.

The IABA AGM, scheduled to take place on November 28th in Belfast, has been deferred.

This deferral is to allow candidates in the elections to Central Council affected by the recent determination of Independent Membership Panel to exercise their right to an external appeal of that decision, using the mechanisms of Sports Dispute Service Ireland (SDSI).

A rescheduled date for the AGM will be issued at the earliest opportunity.

The AGM scheduled for November 28th was to have been a dual in-person and online meeting. Given the changing Covid 19 situation, it is likely that the event will take place online, only. An advisory will issue when the date for the AGM is re-set.

ENDS.

Registration is now open for IABA’s Annual General Meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Belfast, on November 28, in person and by means of electronic communications (Zoom) technology as permitted by the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020.

AGM In-Person Attendance
All affiliated clubs are invited to attend the IABA 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM), via Zoom or in person at the Balmoral Hotel, Blacks Road, Dunmurry, Belfast BT10 0NF.
The AGM begins at 11.30am on Sunday, November 28th.
2 delegate members from every affiliated club are entitled to attend the AGM, one member with voting rights and one member without. In-person attendees can register here

Mindful of public health advice on the Covid 19 pandemic, and potential changes to travel and social distancing restrictions, the IABA may, at short notice, be unable to hold this year’s AGM in a traditional face-to-face format. If that is the case, the IABA will endeavour to host a virtual only AGM on the same date and time.

AGM Remote Attendance
All affiliated club delegates attending remotely are advised to set up a Zoom account well before the AGM. IABA has published a how-to guide on setting up a Zoom account here: http://iaba.ie/site3/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Instructions-for-setting-up-a-Zoom-Account.docx.
Zoom attendees can register here

Please note that in order to confirm numbers, registration will close on Thursday 24th November at 12pm. Only registered and affiliated IABA members will be permitted to attend the AGM.

Annual Report & Financial Statement:
In advance of that meeting, auditors, BKRM Corporate Services, have prepared an Annual Report and Financial Statement for the financial year ended December 31st, 2020. The signed and scanned report and statement are attached.

AGM Agenda:
1. Chairperson’s address
2. Safeguarding report
3. Anti-doping report
4. 2020 audited financial statements & directors’ report
5. Re-appointment of auditors
6. Elections
7. CEO update
7. Presidents closing address

IABA Company Secretary, John Nangle, notes “Please note that on Thursday 04.11.21 an objection to the AGM being held in Belfast was raised by an affiliated club, stating that “this meeting must be held in the state” the objection went on to say “the proposed venue must legally be within the 26 counties”. This objection has been noted and we will update the membership as necessary.”

IABA’s Annual General Meeting is scheduled to take place in Belfast on November, in person and by means of electronic communications (Zoom) technology as permitted by the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020.

Annual Report & Financial Statement:
In advance of that meeting, auditors, BKRM Corporate Services, have prepared an Annual Report and Financial Statement for the financial year ended December 31st, 2020. The report and statement are attached.

AGM Agenda:
1. Chairperson’s address
2. Safeguarding report
3. Anti-doping report
4. 2020 audited financial statements & directors’ report
5. Re-appointment of auditors
6. Elections
7. CEO update
7. Presidents closing address

AGM In-Person Attendance
All affiliated clubs are invited to attend the IABA 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM), via Zoom or in person at the Balmoral Hotel, Blacks Road, Dunmurry, Belfast BT10 0NF.
The AGM begins at 11.30am on Sunday, November 28th.
2 members from every club are entitled to attend the AGM, one member with voting rights and one member without.
Mindful of public health advice on the Covid 19 pandemic, and potential changes to travel and social distancing restrictions, the IABA may, at short notice, be unable to hold this year’s AGM in a traditional face-to-face format. If that is the case, the IABA will endeavour to host a virtual only AGM on the same date and time.

AGM Remote Attendance
In order to attend the AGM remotely, all attendees need to register for tickets through Eventbrite and also set up a Zoom Account with a matching email address, per attendee. Details on how to do this will be provided shortly.
All clubs attending remotely are advised to set up a Zoom account well before the AGM. IABA has published a how-to guide on setting up a Zoom account: //iaba.ie/site3/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Instructions-for-setting-up-a-Zoom-Account.docx

IABA Company Secretary, John Nangle, says “Please note that on Thursday 04.11.21 an objection to the AGM being held in Belfast was raised by an affiliated club, stating that “this meeting must be held in the state” the objection went on to say “the proposed venue must legally be within the 26 counties”. This objection has been noted and we will update the membership as necessary.”

The independent Membership Panel, appointed by the Board of Directors of the IABA in accordance with the IABA Rulebook, to review a decision made by the Central Council of the IABA in relation to the membership/affiliation of members of the three units, has issued its finding. Following their review of the evidence they have unanimously upheld the decision of Central Council to withdraw membership/affiliations.

Officers and members of the Central Council are members of boxing clubs across the island of Ireland. Officers and members are directly elected to their roles by boxing clubs. The Central Council is the body which governs Ireland’s 6 units, whose members are also directly elected by boxing clubs in their areas of operation.

Central Council, when informed of decisions taken by the Leinster & Connaught Provincial Councils as well as the Dublin County Board to withdraw support of the superior bodies of the IABA, convened a meeting to consider the matter. At that meeting held on 29th August 2021 the 20 members of Central Council present voted on three specific matters:

• A vote of no confidence in the Leinster and Connaught Provincial Councils, and the Dublin County Board was carried with 17 voting for, 1 against, and 2 abstentions
• A vote to object to the affiliations of the three organisations was carried with 16 voting for, 2 against and 2 abstentions.
• A vote to remove Officers/Members of those three organisations from Membership of the IABA was carried with 19 voting for, and 1 abstention.

These decisions were then referred to the IABA Board of Directors. Due to conflicts of interest, the Board agreed, in accordance with Rule 6(8) of the IABA Rulebook, to refer the matter to an independent Membership Panel to review the matter and determine whether or not to uphold the decision of the Central Council to withdraw membership.

The Membership Panel ‘found on examining the evidence that there was unanimous support for the decision taken by the IABA Central Council to remove those from membership/affiliation of the IABA. Individuals concerned who wish to appeal this determination may do so through SDSI (Sports Disputes Solutions Ireland) as per the rules set out by the IABA. We, as an independent committee, would strongly recommend that their memberships be considered at the next stage of affiliation opening to the IABA. A detailed report on the findings of the review conducted was submitted to the IABA along with the Minutes of Meetings held discussing these cases.”

The Membership Panel was made up of two barristers and a corporate governance officer from another National Governing Body of sport. The Membership Panel, having considered all evidence, have now delivered their report which upholds the decision of the Central Council to withdraw membership/affiliation of the individuals concerned.

Those individuals in the three bodies concerned – the Leinster Provincial Council, the Connaught Provincial Council, and the Dublin Board – have now been informed of the decision which means that they are no longer members/affiliates of the IABA.

It is important to note that all clubs under the auspices of Leinster and Connacht Provincial Council and the Dublin Board who have already affiliated to IABA remain affiliated, which means their boxers and training activities are insured and boxers can continue to compete in official IABA competitions.


ENDS.