Katie Taylor invited to Bray homecoming as monument to world’s best is considered
The Wicklow PeopleThe Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, Cllr Erika Doyle, has extended an open invitation to Katie Taylor to attend a civic reception in her honour.
The undisputed super lightweight champion claimed her third victory against Amanda Serrano following a bout at Madison Square Garden in New York last weekend, which saw six million viewers tune in on Netflix.
A civic reception was first held for the Bray native in 2012 following her gold medal victory at the London Olympics. An estimated 20,000 fans turned out on the town’s seafront for her homecoming.
Another reception was held for Katie in 2019 when she returned home after beating Belgian fighter Delfine Persoon to become the new undisputed lightweight champion of the world. That bout was also in New York’s Madison Square Garden, despite not being the headline fight.
Cllr Erika Doyle said Bray has been behind Katie since the earliest days of her amateur career.
“We have watched her stratospheric rise in the boxing world, shattering glass ceilings along the way. She has achieved this through grit, hard work, determination and talent. Nothing was handed to Katie; she has earned every single accolade and belt.
"We are so immensely proud of her, a woman that has remained true to her guiding principles and stayed humble when she has every reason to swagger.”
"Our town hall may not be Madison Square Garden, but it is in Katie's home town, and there is an open invitation to Katie to allow us to honour her if that is something she would like.”
Since 2019, there have been numerous calls for a statue to be erected in the town in Katie’s honour.
Cllr Doyle believes the council will consider some kind of lasting monument if it is something she and her family would like to see.
“We will happily look to progress it if there is interest for it. There should be a permanent homage to Ireland's greatest ever sportsperson in her hometown." she added.