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Who Is Fergal Carruth? - The IABA Chief At The Centre Of The Billy Walsh Saga

Conor Neville
By Conor Neville
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Since Billy Walsh announced his resignation on Monday, much opprobrium has been heaped on the shoulders of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association.

And in particular, the CEO Fergal Carruth.

In the past two days, the Irish Sports Council have been busy on the airwaves, thoroughly endorsing Billy Walsh's version of events and castigating the conduct of the IABA.

And there is scarcely a boxer in the country who hasn't appeared on some RTE show or other, giving their view on the saga.

But the most senior figure in the IABA has said little, save for a statement in which he said the organisation had done 'its utmost to retain Billy Walsh as head coach'.  

The younger brother of 1992 Olympic gold medallist Michael, Fergal Carruth was appointed CEO of the IABA in October 2013. He took the reins after the retirement of Don Stewart. He had previously worked as secretary of IABA Limited. According to his Linkedin, Carruth holds a business degree on IT Tallaght.

Boxing out of Drimnagh, he is a former Irish intermediate lightweight champion and an Irish international.

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He was a serial contender in the latter stages of the national championships in the light welterweight division during the mid-1990s.

Carruth worked with the IABA as a coach from 2001 onwards.

On assuming the top job in late 2013, his biggest task was holding on to prized assets in the wake of the successful London Olympics.

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In an interview with the Irish Examiner a couple of years ago, he discussed the difficulties his organisation has in holding on to boxers.

The IABA is limited in what it can offer any boxer.

We’re dependent on the Sports Council and how they can fund the boxers. If the promoters come in with a huge, huge offer, it’s going to be very difficult to keep any amateur unless their Olympic dream outweighs their desire to turn professional.

What we can offer is that we will support any boxer to the highest level that we can support them in their dream of achieving an Olympic medal.

The support they get is a huge step up on what was available 20 years ago, even 10 years ago. We’re happy that in most cases that it will be enough.

Obviously, if the promoters really want that particular boxer and come out aggressively to sign that boxer, it’s with a heavy heart that we will see them go.

Fergal Carruth has not given any interviews since the crisis broke, but his brother Michael did defend the organisation's handling of the affair on Liveline on Monday.

His organisation has also been severely criticised by the Irish Sports Council, with John Treacy alleging that the IABA reneged on a settlement that he and others thought had been agreed upon without even presenting the settlement to the IABA board. And Kieran Mulvey, the chairman of the Sports Council, threatened the association with funding cuts on Prime Time last night.

Carruth has yet to tweet since the saga began, unsurprising since he has yet to tweet since joining twitter. He did favourite one of Paddy Barnes's tweets back in June, in which Paddy was complaining about a neighbour mowing his lawn late in the evening.

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In total, he follows nineteen accounts, with all bar two connected with boxing.  The two non-boxing accounts he follows are 'Irish rugby' and a John Delaney parody account.

Read more: Watch: Billy Walsh Situation Takes Another Step Forward With Sports Council Threat

 

 

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