Katie Taylor’s fighting spirit is inspiring

There were jubilant scenes as boxer Katie Taylor arrived at her home town of Bray, Co Wicklow, last night, where she received a well-deserved hero’s welcome.

By her diligence, hard graft, and determination, Taylor has proven that, like the great Muhammad Ali, it is possible to be both brave and beautiful. She has also shown herself to be more interested in fighting than in fame, a characteristic that endears her to Eddie Hearn, who has helped to promote all 13 of Taylor’s bouts since she turned professional in 2016.

Before the Madison Square Garden contest against Delfine Persoon last weekend, he described her admiringly as “this quiet little girl who hides away and lives like a monk to achieve what she wants to achieve”.

The undisputed lightweight champion of the world also showed fancy footwork when she arrived at Dublin Airport to find herself in a huddle with Sports Minister Shane Ross, as he attempted to bask in her glory. Joking of his omnipresence, she asked the assembled crowds: “Is he here?” Unlike Ross, this quiet little girl has lots to shout about.