Best clubs in Dublin?

yomchi

So which of the ABC's in Dublin are best equipped and provide best training?

I've trained in 3 over the years, the worst being Arbour Hill - an absolute dump and still is. Broadstone ABC was good, a tad small but clean and a great place to build up a sweat, training wasn't perfect but there's better lads there now.
Glasnevin was as good although its been 10 years since I stepped foot in there.

Any opinions?? CIE, St Xaviors? Corinthians?

johnathan woss

Drimnagh's impressive.
They even have olympic rings and a tire with different weights of iron rod.

walshb

Of the gyms I have trained in I would say Darndale, Saviours and Drimnagh are the ones that most resemble a boxing gym. They truly are boxing gyms, used for nothing but boxing and they really look the part....

cowzerp

Darndale is top standard and always produces top class boxers, crumlin boxing club is good too as is st,saviours-Dublin is very, as we have lots of good clubs-The standards are quite high-you can tell how good the clubs are by the success though-clubs rolling out champs is no coincidence!

yomchi

I thought more people here would have actually trained in boxing gyms.

Giving the fact that only 3 people replied with any experience, and the fact the the Ben Dunne analysis went on for pages!

Or is it just quiet this week?

cowzerp

Very few boxers that i know visut boards-there is only 2 that i know and i know most top boxers in ireland. the forum is less for boxers and more for fans i think. unlike other forums. and mainly actice when big fights or incidents happen..

yomchi

Ah i c!

Thanks man

megadodge

You're also making the (very regular) mistake of assuming that everyone on these boards is actually from Dublin ! Most of us aren't.

Cowzerp is right too, it's mainly fans rather than boxers that post on forums.

Nothingcompares

In fairness anyone that trains anywhere is going to say where they train is the best. Unless you try and work it out objectively by winners of tournaments. Secondly, by saying x,y and z are the best clubs in dublin you're setting yourself up for grief from people in clubs a,b and c.

cowzerp

Nothingcompares wrote:

In fairness anyone that trains anywhere is going to say where they train is the best. Unless you try and work it out objectively by winners of tournaments. Secondly, by saying x,y and z are the best clubs in dublin you're setting yourself up for grief from people in clubs a,b and c.

Im basing my favourite club on a mix of success and quality of facilitys and trainers standard, there is about 4-5 stand out clubs in dublin and this is well known to boxers anyway, Dublin has a high standard of boxing and the best clubs change year to year in my opinion based on success, some are the best for seniors and some the best for youths etc..

yomchi

You're also making the (very regular) mistake of assuming that everyone on these boards is actually from Dublin ! Most of us aren't.

LOL good point - guilty as charged!

King of Kings

Jon wrote:

I thought more people here would have actually trained in boxing gyms.

Giving the fact that only 3 people replied with any experience, and the fact the the Ben Dunne analysis went on for pages!

Or is it just quiet this week?

'friad were not all boxers.
i tried to get into boxing in my 20s but was told by a lot of clubs - they'd train me but i was too old etc.
martial arts have no such issues and take beginners at all ages/

walshb

No disrespect to martial arts clubs, but they will take anybody because money is an important factor in these clubs. Even if you are not interested in competition, you will be allowed train because it's all cash.

Boxing clubs are different and should and usually will, only allow people to train providing they are willing to compete and at least try to be a success for the club.

They are strictly for actual competitive boxing and to be allowed train in a boxing club and NOT be competitive should be very rare. I could see a case or an excuse for this if the person is a sparring partner and good one at that, for competing boxers, or if the person puts a lot of effort into the running of the club

bilbo79

walshb is spot on-boxing clubs are non profit and put time into making champions, there is no point in letting every fella in that decides to box 10 years to late-martial arts clubs are usually ran to make a profit and have more adults as they are the 1's with money-this is fine but not the same as boxing clubs..boxing trainers always do the coaching for free just like amateur football coaches, the money buys all the equipment and insurance which is expensive..

yomchi

Thats a pretty ill iformed generalisation of martial arts club! Yes I agree the majority may not be competitive based but not all!
Martial arts includes;

Muay Thai
MMA
Sport Taekwon-Do
Kickboxing (full and light)

All highly competitive martial arts.

Also the ratio of adults to teens/kids is extremely small in martial arts clubs, adults are always hard to motivate.

cowzerp

Jon wrote:

Thats a pretty ill iformed generalisation of martial arts club! Yes I agree the majority may not be competitive based but not all!
Martial arts includes;

Muay Thai
MMA
Sport Taekwon-Do
Kickboxing (full and light)

All highly competitive martial arts.

Also the ratio of adults to teens/kids is extremely small in martial arts clubs, adults are always hard to motivate.

i dont think the competitive aspect was the point been made-it was the non profit aspect that boxing clubs have-meaning training a lad who has no intention of competing is just in the way of the kids who do plan on competing plus starting out late in boxing is so hard that even with lots of training the gap is usually to large to catch. i've seen lads join mma-kickboxing and thai at later age and doin well-this i've never seen in boxing and doubt i ever will..just to explain the non profit thing-my boxing club costs the club 2 euro a week for 5 nights training! thats 40 cent a day-where most m,a clubs are 8-10 euro a session, i know because i've trained in all the above bar tkd..

Nothingcompares

Don't forget boxing clubs get IOC money and lotto money.

cowzerp

Nothingcompares wrote:

Don't forget boxing clubs get IOC money and lotto money.

This is actually very rare-my club got lotto money 1 time and its 30 years running, and as i stated, anty money got is put into the club for equipment and also pays for the fighters expenses when they go abroad to fight-the club also pays the entry fee's for the kids, i've been a trainer there for years and never got a penny..its all voluntary..they dont even get a christmas night out.

walshb

cowzerp wrote:

This is actually very rare-my club got lotto money 1 time and its 30 years running, and as i stated, anty money got is put into the club for equipment and also pays for the fighters expenses when they go abroad to fight-the club also pays the entry fee's for the kids, i've been a trainer there for years and never got a penny..its all voluntary..they dont even get a christmas night out.

Exactly....most of, if not all clubs are strictly for the love of the sport and producing successful fighters. It's always been like that and always will. That is the sport of amateur boxing...
Any monies received is purely for the growth and expansion of that club and the sport in general.....

yomchi

All fair points lads.

megadodge

I have been guilty with the practice of not taking on adults for the reasons mentioned above, however, there are two very well known exceptions in Ireland that prove it can be done if the individual has the right attitude.

Stephen Reynolds from Sligo took up boxing as a 21 year old bodybuilder at the same time as his 18 year old brother Alan who was smoking 40 a day and drinking every night of the week (his words not mine). 12 Senior titles, numerous international appearances and a World Championship quarter-final later they are proof that there are exceptions.

efb

Best Club in Dublin for what???

I mean if its success your after, or top quality facilities, or a place for adults to train, its all very different. Parameters would be nice, all the clubs mentioned above are excellent, even ones not mentioned. I find the best club is the one nearest to you. You get out of boxing only what you put it. I've seen many Irish champions come from a club without even a ring, so I wouldn't get to hung up on that.

cowzerp

efb wrote:

Best Club in Dublin for what???
I've seen many Irish champions come from a club without even a ring, so I wouldn't get to hung up on that.

What clubs? i think its illegal to run a boxing club without a ring. insurance reasons-if you know better let me know..

dlofnep

I think it's just semantics Paul. What I think he means is no matter what level the gym is - if you're not willing to put in the effort, you really won't get anything out of it.

Look at former UFC middleweight champ Evan Tanner - he was self taught from the very beginning and learned from tapes.. With a strong work ethic - he took himself to the top of the sport. Different sport, but same principles.

walshb

Without doubt, you the fighter must put in all the effort and training and no matter how great a gym is, it's not much use if you don't train damn hard.
Saying that, trainers are also vital and they must have the talent and the knowledge to encourage and to maximise a fighters potential. But a good quality gym and facilities will most definitely help and will enthuse a fighter.
One final point is how often a CLUB opens for training.

Many clubs operate out of youth centres. This means that they do not have the use of facilities every day. They can only open at certain times, say 3 times a week. The club is part of the youth cente, which is NOT ideal.
The best clubs IMO are those independent of anything else or any other establishment or society. Like Saviours and Darndale and Drimnagh.

These clubs can OPEN every day and this is needed in such a high intensity sport...