Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch's General Election campaign has met mixed responses – but one group whose vote he will definitely have is the staff at Corinthians Boxing Club.
Corinthians Boxing Club’s Head Coach Kevin Corcoran told The Hard Shoulder about Mr Hutch’s generosity to their community organisation.
“Gerald bought the building in Buckingham Street there 25 years ago outright and he gave us that building for one euro a years’ rent - that's all we have to pay,” he said.
“Now, he doesn't collect the rent, obviously, but he gave us the building to run as a boxing club free of charge, basically.”
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Mr Corcoran said the club would not exist with Mr Hutch’s help.
“Everyone knows rents, especially in the inner city, are crazy at the moment,” he said.
“We probably be paying between €2,000 to €4,000 per month rent for that building, and we couldn't afford that.
“We charge the kids €2 per night for training.”
The coach said Mr Hutch very rarely visits the club, but when he’s in Ireland he always stops by.
“When he comes home, he pops down and says hello, he comes in and says hello to the lads and has a look at the kids training,” he said.
"Very popular man"
Mr Corcoran said The Monk is a “very popular man” in the area.
“There's no other man, TD, anything that would buy a building and give it away to the local community,” he said.
Mr Corcoran said Mr Hutch’s popularity could be due to his help with the boxing club, but he’s sure “people have their own reasons”.
The local community aren’t concerned with Mr Hutch’s possible involvement in organised crime, he said.
“We only see the side of Gerald as the very helpful person that he is,” Mr Corcoran said.
“We only know the man that helps us out, gives us a club for free.”
Kids training at Corinthians Boxing Club. Image: Corinthians Boxing ClubAside from Mr Corcoran’s hopes to see The Monk in the Dáil, his wishes for the next Government include “more grants”.
“In our club, we'd like to get some more grants for the club to help us out with more equipment and more stuff like that,” he said.
“We don't pay rent in our club, but we have massive bills - we have water bills, electricity bills that we have to get paid.”
Split image: Gerry Hutch, R, Signage from Corinthians Boxing Club, L.
