Joe Lavelle
Joe Lavelle is head coach with Ballina Boxing Club and also performs the role of Child Protection Officer. His experience and knowledge of the sport is a tremendous asset to the club and his time is given freely to one and all to further the skill levels of the boxing community in Ballina. A Mayo Boxing Board Hall of Fame Award recipient, he is known and respected as a genuine boxing man up and down the whole island of Ireland. Over the years he has organised club tournaments between Ballina Boxing Club and English and Welsh clubs, notably Bedford BC, St. Pancras BC in London, Birmingham BC, Leeds/Yourshire BC and Highfield BC in Wales. He was instrumental in having the Ballina Boxing Club host the Rafako Hussars, Poland, in a pre-Olympic 16-day training camp in December 2015, and which led to an invitation to participate in a multi-nations tournament in Kielce in 2017, and to return for the event in 2018.
Ballina Boxing Club has received huge sponsorship over the years from The Merry Monk pub and restaurant, built and owned by Joe, and anybody who knows Joe would say he is generous to a fault. He is the driving force behind the plan to construct a new multi-functional training arena in Ballina which would be available to the local community as well as giving a venue to Ballina Boxing Club and others to showcase their sport to wider audiences. This new venture will be managed by Ballina Community Sports and Leisure Centre and will be available for use during their opening hours, 0900 to 2200 daily, and by prior arrangement at other times in the case of exceptional need.