The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) and Sport Ireland have been urged to draw a line under their recent disagreement over the departure of coach Billy Walsh in the interests of the sport.
The organisations have been at loggerheads over Walsh’s decision to leave his role as head of Irish boxing following a protracted and public row with the IABA.
The Wexford man, seen as central to Irish successes in the ring in recent years, was last week unveiled as the new head of the US women’s boxing programme.
Following Walsh’s move Sport Ireland told an Oireachtas committee its confidence in the IABA has been left shaken. Sport Ireland insisted Walsh’s move was not down to financial reasons - something the IABA contradicted. The IABA said it did everything in its power to stop the 53-year-old from leaving.
On Wednesday, Minister of State for Sport Michael Ring called on the organisations to make-up after he and Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe met representatives of both.
“Minister Ring proposed to both organisations, in the interest of Irish boxing and looking ahead to the Rio Olympics, that a line needed to be drawn,” his department said in a statement. “He proposed that both organisations would meet within the next two weeks to discuss and agree the way forward for Irish boxing.”
The statement said the IABA and Sport Ireland “thanked the Ministers” and they were “committed to working together to restore confidence for all sides in the important time leading up to Rio”.
The process to select a permanent replacement for Walsh was due to commence this week.