Katie Taylor set to get a statue in her honour
The wheels are in motion to erect a statue for Irish sporting great Katie Taylor.
The winner of 18 major gold medals gold medals as an amateur, who secured London 2012 Olympic glory for Ireland, became the first Irish fighter to unify titles in the four belt era on Saturday.
Taylor shaded what some are calling ‘the greatest women’s fight of all time’ and left Madison Square Garden with the WBO, WBA, IBF, WBC and Ring Magazine world lightweight titles.
It’s another historic and unprecedented achievement for Ireland’s greatest ever athlete and it seems the powers that be seem to feel it’s now time the success be recognized.
Wicklow County Council are said to be putting in plans in place to erect a statue for the fighter in her hometown of Bray.
Bray, Councillor Joe Behan said that he would be proposing to erect a statue in Taylor’s honour at the next meeting of Wicklow County Council.
If Taylor is to receive a statue, indeed if she gives it the go ahead she will join the likes of Johnny Kilbane, Rinty Monaghan, Socks Byrne and John L Sullivan as Irish boxers imortalized in stone.
There are calls for a statue in honour of Katie Taylor in Bray, after she became the undisputed lightweight world champion on Sunday. She is due to arrive back at Dublin Airport tomorrow morning pic.twitter.com/Hwix2avASm
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) June 3, 2019
Meanwhile fans looking to celebrate Taylor’s win with the fighter herself can do so in the Airport this morning.
The official undisputed women’s lightweight champion is set to touch down in the capital at around 9.50am on a Delta Airlines flight and the Department of Transport has confirmed that fans can welcome the four belt world champion home.
Controversial minister Shane Ross will host the reception in Termindal 2.
The calls for a statue are welcome and if any Irish fighter deserves to be immortalised it is Taylor.
However, there have also been interesting suggestions of a more reserved honour for the humble Wicklow fighter.
Does it have to be a statue? Ask @KatieTaylor Maybe a park bench with her name, a tree planted, a sports scholarship in her name 4 a young girl? @NWCI @women4election @Womeninsport_uk @OfficialCamogie @IrelandWomen @labourwomen @Irishboxingcom @Shane_RossTD @Womenof1916 @INMO_IRL
— Breda Gahan (@Health_HIV2030) June 3, 2019
