Scaled back version of Wexford boxing gym gone to tender after ‘little interest’ in original design

The long-awaited boxing club was one of a string of Wexford County Council projects to require a re-think, after the initial design and budget attracted very little interest in terms of tenders.

Speaking recently of the redesign, Acting Chief Executive Eddie Taaffe said “We had very little interest in the tenders. We’ve looked at the design and ways that we can make it more cost effective.”

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The result, a considerably scaled back version of what was originally touted, has now been listed for tenders online. It will now consist of “an entrance hall leading to the main gymnasium, a secondary gymnasium, a secondary studio gymnasium room, communal changing room/locker room including contained showers, toilets, accessible showers and toilets, storage and a plant room”.

The project has attracted a private donation believed to be in the region of €500,000 from local construction firm William Neville & Sons in 2022, while it also received the highest allocation in sports capital funding of €300,000.

Having driven the project since the start, Labour councillor George Lawlor says that while the project carries an estimated investment of €1.3 million in the council’s three-year capital programme, the original design would’ve cost over €2 million.

"There was an upstairs mezzanine included in the last design,” he said. “I think that maybe the last one was a difficult build and maybe that’s why people weren't interested in coming forward to build it.

"It’s been simplified a bit and I’d be very hopeful that we’ll receive a positive outcome from the tender process on this occasion. At all stages, incidentally the boxing club (Na Fianna) have been consulted.”

When asked if the downscaling of the project was a source of disappointment, Cllr Lawlor remained upbeat.

"Not really,” he said. “I mean there’s nothing there now. This is still a substantial investment and it will see a fully functioning boxing gym with toilets etc built.”