Going for gold - Katie setting the standard to follow

Silver — and now for gold! There are moments in a lifetime that etch events in the mind. Yesterday was such a moment when Katie Taylor gave the nation cause to rejoice.

An exceptional sportswoman and acknowledged as the best female boxer in the world, the 26-year-old from Bray, Co Wicklow, has presented Irish people everywhere with something to feel good about. The significance of her achievement can’t be exaggerated at a time when the whole country needs a boost.

The upbeat response to yesterday’s silver medal-winning victory reflects the importance of sport in a sports-mad nation. And inevitably, her remarkable success, coupled with the marvellous accomplishments of other members of the Irish boxing team, including Paddy Barnes’s victory last night, plus Cian O’Connor’s bronze medal performance in show jumping, will fuel debate on why Ireland has done so badly in some events.