Boxing club where Kellie Harrington began her career has only one toilet — and it's for males

Kellie Harrington reacts after defeating Imane Khelif of Algeria. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

A boxing club where Olympic medallist Kellie Harrington began her career has only one toilet that caters for males despite continual pleas for Government funding.

Sandra and Pat Walsh, who help to run the Buckingham Street club in Dublin’s north inner city, have been inundated with scores of applications from youngsters to join since Harrington’s medal wins during the week.

However, the club has had to put the numerous applications on hold simply because there is only one toilet.

Former lord mayor and local Independent councillor Christy Burke said while the boxing club was thrilled to have been “inundated” with girls and boys wanting to join they, “simply don’t have toilet facilities to cope”.

“The club has one toilet and that is for boys. How in this day and age is this still allowed to happen?

"For years now the organisers have been pleading with Dublin City Council and Government to allocate them additional funding but it’s been falling on deaf ears.

“Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is a TD for the area and he needs to address this problem urgently. Kellie just lives a few houses away from the club.

“Look at what she has been able to achieve with such poor basic facilities at the club. 

It’s time the Government invested properly in sports in this country.

Mr Burke pointed out that nine years ago, world champion professional women’s boxer and Olympic gold medalist Katie Taylor highlighted that her Bray boxing club had no toilet or shower for women.

“The Government was left red faced then over the lack of basic facilities for women. It’s now nine years later and this time it’s in Dublin.

"We have produced another Olympic medalist but yet sports facilities for girls in particular have not improved," he said.

Sporting facilities are key to the local community Cllr Burke added “especially one that works with kids who are at quite a significant disadvantage".

“Dublin City Council also should help the club out in some way, possibly through sports grants. It’s not an exceptional amount of money that they need to make the place punch above its weight even more," he said.