Corinthians Head Boxing Coach says club wouldn't exist without building owner Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch
Exclusive: The coach spoke as local TD Gary Gannon has clarified his comments about keeping the lights on at the club and his criticism of election rival Hutch
The head coach of Corinthians Boxing Club says it wouldn’t exist were it not for building owner Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch.
Anthony Daly, head coach at the inner city club - and Paddy Osborne - a former coach at the club and Kellie Harrington’s first trainer, both told this paper that gangland figure turned election candidate Hutch (61) is the main reason the lights were kept on in the building over the years.
It comes as election rival Gary Gannon had earlier this week asked if Hutch, who he said had assets all over the world, knew whether he and other politicians in the area had to fight to keep the lights on at his club over the last number of years.
READ MORE:Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch says he has been 'an unofficial politician' most of his life
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Mr Gannon had issued the comments in response to a claim by Hutch that the four sitting TDs in the area had done “shag all.” However today Mr Gannon told this paper after hearing comments from Mr Daly and Mr Osborne, that he wasn’t suggesting Hutch hadn’t contributed to the club - and that he was merely responding to criticism from him.
Asked for comment on the controversy, Anthony Daly, head coach at the club based in Dublin’s Bella Street, said Hutch has been “in and out” of the building over the years and been nothing but supportive. “Gerard is the owner. It’s Gerard’s building.
“He’s always supportive of the club, he always helps out and has since the club opened. He’s in and out of the club and helps out. We wouldn’t have a club without Gerard. As you probably know, renting a building in the inner city would probably cost three or four thousand a month. If we had to pay rent we wouldn’t have a club, you know.”
Mr Daly, who says he’s voting for Hutch in the general election - said he believed the majority of the club - which houses up to 50 boxers a night, will also vote for the veteran crime figure. “We wouldn’t have a club without Gerard. Of course they will, everybody will, think so. Well he’s principled, look how much he has done for us alone he helped our club for the past 20 years,” he said.
“He wouldn’t be running if he didn't. He's not doing this for money. He’s doing it because he cares. I’m sure he will stick to what he said he’s going to do, he’s going to try to help the homeless as much as he can. He’s not doing this for no reason,” he said.
Mr Daly also confirmed that Gary Gannon has “helped us a lot,” but said Hutch has supported the club over the years too. However former coach and club secretary Paddy Osborne - who was Kellie Harrington’s first coach, said he had never seen Gary Gannon in the club during his 15 year tenure there.
“The length of time I was down there I never spoke to Gannon. I never saw him in the club in my years there. I took on Kellie Harrington and I was her coach. All the time he was there Gerard was supporting. He formed the committee that sponsored us."
Paddy said Hutch would routinely “pay the bills if we were stuck” and was “always supportive 100 per cent.”
“It wouldn’t have survived otherwise,” he said, adding that he would “certainly” also vote for Hutch and had no concerns about his ties to gangland crime. I know the family from ground roots. We all have skeletons in the closet. Because some family members are bad it doesn’t make the whole lot bad,” he said.
The comments come after Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon had said earlier this week: “Does Gerry Hutch know the work that I’ve had to do over the last number of years just to try get the money together to pay the electricity for his own boxing club?”
He also said: “He(Hutch) talks about being a businessman who has all these assets all over the world. Does he know how much we’ve had to do just to keep the lights on in his own boxing club?”
But speaking to this paper today after being informed of the comments from Corinthians boxing club members - Mr Gannon said he does not know whether or not Hutch has contributed financially to the club or not - and claimed that he wasn’t suggesting in his prior comments that he wasn’t.
“For me, what I was responding to was Gerry Hutch’s claim that TDs in the area have done shag all.
“So I was highlighting the fact that through efforts I’ve made over the years to make sure the club was supported financially by the council and local businesses and a reflection of the fact that that statement wasn’t true. My respect for the coaches in that club is infinite, which is why I was always the politician who has always showed up in that club,” he told us.
“My comments are no reflection of Corinthians Boxing Club, and particularly the coaches there. I really want to emphasise that because that is why I’ve gone to the efforts I have because they are working with the hardest to reach youth in the inner city. That’s why I brought them into the Dail because I know the work they do in there is incredible and it's been done without the support of the State.
Asked if he believes Hutch has contributed to the club over the years Mr Gannon said: “No idea. Come on, how do I even know that? I do respect you have a job to do. I also have to stay true to the community. Asked if he had any concerns about Hutch winning a seat or taking votes away from him Mr Gannon said:
“I’m not worried about any of those things. I’m doing my job. The most important thing for me outside of any of this is my recognition of the work those coaches do is front and centre of this.” Hutch, who is also running in Dublin Central, had told the Sunday Independent that the area had “no representatives.”
“They’re politicians, but they’re doing shag all. I mean, that’s the way I look at it and that’s the way the people in the community see it as well,” he claimed. On why he is running, Hutch said people in his community have asked him to and that he wants to serve the people of Dublin.
"I'm doing it because people in my community asked me to. I want to serve the people of Dublin 1,3, and 7. I want to serve the country. I've a list as long as my arm on the things that need to be done," he said. "But I'm not the type of person who would be anyone for their vote. If you want to vote for me, then do. I won't be twisting anyone's arm. I will be out, knocking on certain doors.
"People can tell me to f**k off if they're not interested. I have to expect that cheek from people. Am I confident I'll get elected? Absolutely I am." Gerry Hutch told the paper that he "couldn't care less" about Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and is not running to try and take her seat.
"It's nothing whatsoever to do with Mary Lou. I couldn't care less about what she does, or what Sinn Féin say they will do," he said.
"I'm focused on what I will do. I could probably be considered old, but I'm fresh. I've a lot of life experience. To go into the Dáil, you have to be hungry and ready to fight, and I am."
Hutch said his number one priority is homelessness and housing, adding that there are almost 4,500 homeless children and that this turns them into "child criminals".
"On top of that, we have the housing crisis, not enough places for people to buy affordable homes. It's an emergency situation," he said. There is too much red tape in this country. We have to get rid of the red tape, and quickly."
If he is elected, Hutch said he will "be doing everything in the best interest of my constituency and the country. And if I have to work with Mary Lou, or if I have to work with Micheál Martin, then I would."
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