History maker Deidre Gogarty’s statue will be unveiled this week

Irish boxing hero Deirdre Gogarty will be immortalised in bronze later this week as plans to erect a statue in honour of her and her groundbreaking boxing career officially come to fruition.

The Deirdre Gogarty Legacy Committee have confirmed the statue is complete and will be unveiled by the Irish boxing legend this coming Saturday.

“On September 21st, 2024, Drogheda will honour Deirdre Gogarty, Ireland’s first female World Boxing Champion, with the unveiling of a statue in her hometown. The sculpture, created by renowned artist Laury Dizengremel, commemorates Gogarty’s trailblazing career and her role in breaking barriers for women in boxing.

“Deirdre Gogarty herself will unveil the statue, alongside Mayor Paddy Mc Quillan. The event is open to the public, and media attendance is encouraged. Interviews will be available following the ceremony,” a statement read.

Gogarty’s is a boxing innings worth remembering. She was involved in what is deemed the first ever boxing bout between two women in 1991, albeit an ‘illegal’ and unsanctioned fight at The Shannon Arms in Limerick.

Unable to get a boxing license in Ireland she made the difficult choice to move to the USA and turn professional to chase a World title. This move made the Louth native the first-ever female professional boxer in Ireland and led her to competing in one of the most historic female fights of all time.

Gogarty versus Christy Martin is now a fight of folklore and is deemed the spark that ignited much-needed change for women’s boxing. Chief support to Mike Tyson versus Frank Bruno at the MGM Grand, the entertaining war was the first all-female bout to take place on a PPV boxing card.

Just a year later Gogarty, a hero to Katie Taylor, realized her dream of becoming a world champion by beating Bonnie Canino in Florida on 2nd of March 1997 for the Featherweight world professional title.

That victory cemented Gogarthy’s legacy in the sport as Ireland’s First female professional boxing world champion as well as Drogheda’s first and only professional boxing world champion.

Since retiring in 1998, the trailblazer has been recognised for her achievements by being inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.

It’s an achievement-packed transformative career that the Deirdre Gogarty Legacy Committee led by Ciaran Mc Ivor of Boxing Bants have made sure will be honoured in statue form.