AND STILL – Katie Taylor Remains Ireland’s Most Loved Sports Star
And still!
Katie Taylor retained her most popular athlete in the Ireland crown.
The Bray boxer was confirmed ‘Ireland’s Most Admired Athlete’ for the eighth year in succession.
The annual Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index found that Taylor is still Ireland’s most popular athlete, garnering 15% of the vote after a year in which she retained her status as undisputed lightweight champion with victory over Amanda Serrano in Texas last month.
The Irish boxers helped Ireland’s Paris Olympics team earn the ‘Team of the Year’ tag with 28% of the vote, after taking home an unprecedented haul of four gold and three bronze medals from the French capital.
Boxing also featured in the moment of the year, as double Olympic gold medal winner, Kellie Harrington’s rendition of ‘Grace’ following her gold medal win at Rolland Garros was named the ‘Most Memorable Sporting Moment’ on 14%of the vote. Joint second in this category on 11% are O’Donovan and McCarthy’s successful gold medal defence in Paris and Taylor’s victory over Serrano in Houston.
Harrington also finished third in the ‘Most Admired Athlete’ list behind Taylor and Rhasidat Adeleke.
Rowing gold medallists Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy jointly occupy fourth spot, with Bundee Aki in fifth and jockey Rachael Blackmore in sixth.
Of the events most hotly anticipated in 2025, the men’s Six Nations comes top of the list, garnering 30% of the vote, with the All-Ireland senior hurling championship on 15% beating out the All-Ireland senior football championship on 12%.
The Women’s European Championship takes fourth spot on 7%, despite the absence of the Irish team who missed out on qualifying after an agonising loss to Wales last month.
Gaelic games, incorporating Gaelic football, hurling, Ladies Gaelic football and camogie, is deemed Ireland’s most popular sport on 20%, with soccer in second on 18%, and rugby placing third on 15%.
The TSSI is a comprehensive 1,000 person nationally representative survey with quotas imposed across gender, region, age, and social class.
