IABA given 24 hours to resolve Billy Walsh controversy

Irish Sports Council chairman Kieran Mulvey has given the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) 24 hours to consider an agreement tabled in August that would have prevented the controversial departure of head coach Billy Walsh.

Mr Mulvey, who was scathing in his comments on the situation that led to Mr Walsh’s decision to take an alternative post in the US, said the council would have to reconsider its funding arrangement with the IABA if the matter was not resolved.

"We have the best coach in the world, in Ireland in boxing. His record stands for itself and he should be allowed the freedom and opportunity to continue to do a good job," he told RTÉ's Prime Time programme on Tuesday.

“Billy Walsh gave up in frustration. All you had to hear is his statement of a man who does not want to go to America but is being forced, by the petty indignities forced upon him, to leave this country.”

Mr Mulvey said it amounted to a failure of governance at the association and it must now accept a previous agreement regarding Mr Walsh’s future.

That deal was reached in August but was never put to the board for agreement by an internal sub-committee.

“My view now is that deal should be offered to Billy even at this late date and give up the nonsense that’s going on now in the IABA about this,” Mr Mulvey said.

“I’m effectively saying when the new funding round for 2016 comes up we will have to review our relationship with the IABA.”

He said a “complete rethink” was now required of the situation, questioning what was “so unacceptable” about the negotiated deal that it was not brought to the board.