Chairman of Sport Ireland blasts ‘unconscionable’ demands placed on Billy Walsh

"Imagine Joe Schmidt being told he had to contact Philip Browne every time he selected a team or made a decision?"

Wed, 21 Oct, 2015 - 12:20

The fallout from Billy Walsh’s resignation continues, with the chairman of Sport Ireland describing the demands placed on the boxing coach by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) as totally unacceptable.

On Monday Walsh

Kieran Mulvey said the association has imposed demands which have forced Ireland to lose the best boxing coach in the world.

Mr Mulvey is giving evidence at an Oireachtas committee this morning, a day before Billy Walsh is due to travel to the United States to sign contracts with their national women's boxing team.

He's told the committee that the association wanted to control all of Billy Walsh's media appearances - which is "unconscionable":

“We don’t operate on that basis,” Mulvey said. “You have meetings weekly; monthly.

“Imagine an organisation that says to its chief coach - imagine Joe Schmidt being told he had to contact Philip Browne every time he selected a team or made a decision?

“Or (before) he could talk to the media. This is unconscionable and unacceptable.”

The Irish Sports Council are threatening to review their funding of the organisation as a result of the resignation - the IABA are expected to make a further statement today after a meeting to discuss the fallout.