Sport Amateur boxing Founded 1911 | Abbreviation IABA President Mr Tommy Murphy | |
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The Irish Amateur Boxing Association Ltd. (IABA) is the national governing body for amateur boxing in Ireland. The objective of the association is to develop, foster and control amateur boxing on the island of Ireland. Founded in 1911, the IABA operates from the National Stadium in Dublin, the only purpose built amateur boxing stadium in the world.
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Structure
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association organises, develops, fosters and controls amateur boxing across Ireland (including Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland). The IABA is the national governing body (NGB) for amateur boxing in the country. Boxing clubs in Ireland are represented and supported at county, provincial and national level. Boxing clubs affiliate to the IABA and are then entitled to compete at each of these three levels.
The IABA has established six 'provincial councils' for Ulster, Leinster, Connacht, Munster, Antrim, and Dublin. Although Antrim and Dublin are not among the four traditional provinces of Ireland, separate councils were set up due to large volumes of boxing clubs in these two areas. Each county in Ireland is also represented by its own 'county board'.
History pre-1936
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association led a nomadic existence, holding events, tournaments and boxing shows at many different venues. With the popularity of amateur boxing surging amongst the working class population, it was decided that a headquarters for the IABA and amateur boxing was required.
National Stadium
In 1937, the IABA proposed to construct a stadium solely for the purposes of boxing. The cost of building the National Stadium was over £12,000 (IEP), a considerable sum at the time. In 1939, the National Stadium, located in Dublin, was completed and officially opened. It was later renovated and modernized in 2000.
The National Stadium is the only purpose built boxing stadium in the world. The Stadium is still managed by the IABA and has been in use for national and international boxing events ever since its official opening. The High Performance Unit is based at the National Stadium.
Olympic success
Katie Taylor made history in 2012 by being the first Irish woman to qualify and compete in an Olympic boxing event, in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Taylor won her Olympic debut over Great Britain's Natasha Jonas with a 26-15 score. An International Olympic Committee official said that the decibels hit 113.7 – the highest crowd levels recorded at London 2012 so far. Paddy Barnes made history in 2012 by being the first Irish boxer to ever win two Olympic Medals at two consecutive Olympics, only two Irish athletes have managed this. Michael Carruth and Katie Taylor are the only Irish boxers to ever win a gold medal in the sport. Michael Carruth won Gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and exactly 20 years to the week later, Katie Taylor won Gold at the London 2012 Olympics. The team that represented Irish boxing at the London 2012 Olympics has undoubtedly been the most successful IABA boxing Olympic Team since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The London 2012 team consisted of: