Sport

Seconds Out: Belfast ex-pat Walter Henry honoured in adopted city

Belfast boxer Walter Henry has had a public park named in his honour in his adopted city of Orillia, Ontario
Belfast boxer Walter Henry has had a public park named in his honour in his adopted city of Orillia, Ontario Belfast boxer Walter Henry has had a public park named in his honour in his adopted city of Orillia, Ontario

THE career of a Belfast boxer has been acknowledged with the opening of a public park in his honour in the city of Orillia, Ontario, writes Barry Flynn.

Walter Henry, originally from Rodney Parade, won the Irish flyweight title with St George’s in 1962 and represented Canada at the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games.

In 1967, Walter became the first Canadian to win a medal at the Pan-American Games and was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in 1974.

Speaking from his Ontario home, the 82-year-old retains fond memories of Belfast and the St George’s club.

“St George’s really was the ‘Cradle of Champions’ and I owe the club so much,” he said.

“I made many friends in Belfast and I recall the great times I had with Jim McCourt, Martin Quinn, Paddy Fitzsimons and Sean McCafferty at the Olympics.

“I have been in Canada for so many years and to have the Walter Henry Park named in my honour is such a privilege.

"However, Belfast has always been in my blood and remains close to my heart.”

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Having waited years for a refurb to its Conway Mill home, the St John Bosco club has now received the green light for week to commence in the coming months
Having waited years for a refurb to its Conway Mill home, the St John Bosco club has now received the green light for week to commence in the coming months Having waited years for a refurb to its Conway Mill home, the St John Bosco club has now received the green light for week to commence in the coming months

BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR BOSCO AS REFURB GIVEN GREEN LIGHT

ST John Bosco is hoping that long-awaited renovation work to improve its gym will be completed by the end of 2021 – a welcome 80th birthday present for the west Belfast club.

The Bosco, which first affiliated with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association in 1941, has been waiting on a refurbishment to their Conway Mill home since 2012 when then Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín announced a £3.2million funding package to improve local boxing facilities.

The club was placed at the top of the list due to its outdated facilities, yet time passed and nothing happened.

It is almost two years since coach Gerard McCafferty was left so frustrated that he posted footage on social media of rain pouring through holes in the ceiling with boxers training on, seemingly oblivious to the puddles gathering on the concrete floor.

Despite such pleas for help, though, nothing changed.

“When we originally moved in here it was only supposed to be on a temporary basis,” he said.

“All the drawings had been done, but then it went out to tender three times and, due to no fault of our own, it just stalled for one reason or another.

“We have no toilets, no water, no heat, the roof in the place is ready to fall in. There’s water buckets everywhere, there’s been times when there was water running down the wall into the electrics too

“My wife Kristina won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games two years ago and she still has to get changed outside in her car before she comes into the club because there’s no changing facilities for females.

“It’s not right.”

However, last week Belfast City Council granted planning permission to transform the ground floor unit at Conway Mill into a fully functioning gym.

And hopes are now high that the £200,000 project will get under way in six weeks’ time, with a view to work being completed before the end of the year, while the club will continue to operate out of the second floor in the meantime.

“It’s a big relief to have finally got to this stage because there were times it felt like you were banging your head against a brick wall,” said McCafferty.

“I have to say thanks to the likes of Conor McCartan from Sport NI, the Mill for keeping a roof over our heads and those local representatives like Paul Maskey and Jim McVeigh who supported us throughout and helped drive things forward.

“This year being our 80th anniversary, it would be great to get the job finished and hopefully our club president Geordie Boyd will be able to officially open it when it’s done. Geordie hasn’t been well recently but he has always said he would love to see the club back on its feet the way it should be, and we’re getting there.

“We have lost boxers over the years because of the conditions and I can understand parents not wanting to send their kids into a club that is falling apart, but for those who have stuck with us it will make a big difference.”

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COUNTY ANTRIM CONSIDER HOSTING COVERED COMPETITION IN TWINBROOK

YOUNG boxers could have the opportunity to make their return between the ropes at an open air competition in west Belfast through the summer months.

It is over a year since any championships took place in Ireland as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, clubs began outdoor training last week and a return to indoor activity has been earmarked for May 24, according to the Stormont government’s strategy for exiting lockdown.

It is anticipated that restrictions will remain in place initially but, with the Irish boxing season not expected to get under way until its usual starting spot in September, the County Antrim Board has been thinking outside the box in a bid to get its boxers back in the ring.

“Unless the IABA [Irish Athletic Boxing Association] give us permission we’ll not be able to do anything, but we are exploring what options we have,” said County Antrim president Paddy Barnes sr.

“The new Brook Leisure Centre in Twinbrook has outdoor covered pitches, and that’s what we are looking at - to maybe see about getting something up and running there.

“That would be during the summer, and we’re hopeful it would meet the criteria regarding any restrictions put in our place. Hopefully that can happen, it would be fantastic if it could.”

If boxers are able to resume indoor training, even in pods, at the end of next month it would allow them to commence preparation ahead of a possible return to action.

Given how long they have been out of the ring, though, Barnes sr insists it is important that they are given every opportunity to get up to speed before trading leather once more.

“Once they’re back in and able to train properly, we’ll take it from there,” he said.

“We had already spoken about possible inter-county matches too, but we have to be fair to the boxers because they’ll be coming back after a long lay-off.”

Along with the IABA’s other provincial presidents, Barnes sr has been working on a new boxing strategy, which they hope to present to the association’s board of directors in the coming weeks.

“Dr Paul Donnelly from Ulster University has been helping us, and we have come up with a good strategy - there’s a lot of work has been getting done behind the scenes as well while we’re not able to do anything.”