Taylor to show off skills in Millstreet

Over the decades, Cork has been a powerhouse of women’s sport.

In individual sports there was the peerless Sonia O’Sullivan and Derval O’Rourke; in team sports there’s been the all-conquering ladies’ football team, along with the camogie teams of previous years, not to mention hockey, basketball etc.

Conspicuous by its absence, however, a senior champion in women’s boxing, surprising even Katie Taylor, gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympics.

“I don’t know why that is. Cork is a huge boxing county and has always produced great boxers. I’ve boxed here quite a few times over the years just on club shows and there are always numerous girl boxers on the same shows. It hasn’t happened yet for women’s boxing but I’m sure there are a few young girls who are going to come on the scene in the next few years.”

Taylor was speaking yesterday at the announcement of a two-match international series against France, a joint venture between the IABA and Platinum One promotions. The first of those events will take place in Millstreet on May 3, a place that already has its place in Irish boxing history and presents an opportunity for Munster fight fans to see the Irish Olympic boxing team from London in the flesh.

“There is such a great history of boxing there and to be boxing at the same venue as the likes of [Steve] Collins and [Chris] Eubank is really exciting for us,” enthused Taylor. “This is what amateur boxing needs, shows like this. We’re really excited and the atmosphere is going to be brilliant because it’s going to be great to have this opportunity to box in front of everyone in all four corners of the country, and to give everyone the opportunity to come and see us. It’s not fair just to have the boxing in Dublin all the time. People came to support us in London so I think it’s only right that we go around the country and give people the opportunity to come and see us box.

“This is the first time that we’ve all boxed on the same show together as well, so it’s going to be an amazing show to be part of. This is the best sporting team we have in the country at the moment. We always go away and come back with medals, constantly, so we’re hoping that we’ll get the support.”

Featuring with Taylor on the bill will be John Joe Nevin, Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlan, Adam Nolan, Darren O’Neill and light-heavyweight teenage sensation Joe Ward.

In one of the shocks of the Elite finals O’Neill went out at the quarter-final stage to new champion Jason Quigley. There is still a chance, however, that O’Neill, along with Nevin, Barnes and super-heavyweight champion Con Sheehan, will feature in the European championships in May. IABA president Tommy Murphy yesterday revealed that box-offs for the Europeans remain a strong possibility.

“Those who couldn’t fight because of the flu, because of injury, they have to get an opportunity — they’re the medal winners, we just can’t throw them in the bin and say, forget about them. I can’t say [for certain] it will happen, I’m led by the boxing board.”