Dunree Boxing Club completely destroyed in floods

A number of sports clubs in the Inishowen area are still counting the cost of the flood damage on Tuesday night.

However, one of the worst hit clubs was Dunree Boxing Club where an appeal has been set up to raise some much needed funds after the club’s Buncrana facilities were completely destroyed.

Amazingly all that’s left is the club’s boxing ring - and it too would have been washed away had it not got caught in a steel girder.

As it was, the club’s rowing machines, treadmill, boxing gloves, pads and headgear were all washed into the Crana River.

Dunree BC head coach Fergal Doyle outlined the devastation on Friday’s News at One Show on RTE.

“There is absolutely nothing left, and I mean nothing,” he said.

“Everything is in the Crana River.

“I’ve a treadmill, rowing machines, bags, gloves, headgear, anything to do with boxing is gone. The only thing that’s left, and it’s badly bent, is the ring. There was a steel girder  which stopped it going into the river as well.”

Mr. Coyle said the front wall and outside wall of the club building was washed away. The club had started back training on Monday night with a large number of children taking part.

He said it was fortunate nobody was in the centre the following evening when the floods hit.

“If we had been training, where the water came in, we would have lost lives,” he said.

“We lost the club but we didn’t lose a life, that’s the thing that’s keeping me going at the minute.”

Dunree Boxing Club are hoping that other clubs might be able to donate spare equipment to allow them get back up and running again.

More information can be found on the new Facebook page - Save Dunree Boxing Club.

A view of the damage caused at Dunree Boxing Club on Tuesday night.