Professional boxing has been growing in popularity in Ireland over the last number of years, with Irish fighters, including Bernard Dunne, Matthew Macklin and Andy Lee, showing huge promise on the international stage. Now Galway is getting its own piece of the action, with the opening of its very first pro boxing gym in Ballybane. Marie Madden spoke to founder Gerry Hussey about the rough and tumble of this tough sport.

Having trained and fought as an amateur boxer, Gerry Hussey has always had a keen interest in the sport. A trained sports psychologist, most recently he has been working with Ireland's young boxers who will travel to Bejing for the Olympics later this year. However, it is the world of pro boxing that has always held an allure, so in January, Gerry decided to combine his day job with setting up the West's first pro boxing gym in Galway.

The Alpha 1 Gym has now been up and running in Ballybane Industrial Estate for almost two months, and Gerry says he is getting a great reaction from both professional fighters and regular clients. Set up in association with Irish heavyweight boxer Declan Timlin, the gym has an open membership policy, which means that anyone from a construction worker to a banker can train alongside pro boxers in an authentic setting that has been modelled on the famous Gleason's Gym in New York.

"I was over in New York for a while and, when I was there, I became a member of Gleason's Gym. Anyone with an interest in boxing will have heard of Gleason's as many famous boxers, including Muhammed Ali have trained out of there. On my first day, I just went in and did a bit of a workout and watched what was going on, but after a couple of weeks, I was part of the team and chatting away to the other fighters. That's a great feeling and a great atmosphere to work in and that's what I am trying to achieve here," he says.

Nine professional boxers work out of the gym at the moment, including Declan Timlin, Keith Gresham, Michael Sweeney and the Hyland brothers. Gerry and his team are also hoping to bring over some big name fighters, such as Ricky Hatton, Matthew Macklin and Andy Lee over the next year or so.

"There is no other pro boxing gym in the West and often fighters found it hard to find somewhere to base themselves and train outside of Dublin. There were no pro boxing gyms and insurance often wouldn't cover them to fight out of an amateur gym, so it has been tough. We have some great coaches here as well, including Sean Mannion, who fought for a world title, as well as Pat Ryan and Paddy Hyland. The gym is an exciting place to be during a training session; there is a great atmosphere. Some sports can be typically suited to upper class or lower class but boxing is a blend of all people and that's what I love about it," Gerry adds.

This gym is open to everyone, with a mix of male and female, as well as professionals and beginners. While some gyms may separate the two groups, at Alpha 1 the different levels train alongside each other - a process which, according to Gerry, benefits all participants.

"The gym is open to all adults, whether they are training professionally as a boxer or simply want to try it out as a means to get fit and shape up. There is no divide in the gym. The professionals love to train alongside the public as they feel that it spurs them on, and they give a bit of encouragement and inspiration to the people who are starting off.