A chara, – Katie Taylor going for gold in the first ever women’s lightweight Olympic final: what a great day to be Irish, and what a great day to be from Wicklow. Her athleticism and beaming smile have given everyone a lift. And her thanks and glory to God, in victory or defeat, remind us all of our place in the greater scheme of things. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – While rejoicing with the rest of the nation at the wonderful success of our boxer Katie Taylor in the London Olympics, I would suggest that the efforts of Drogheda-born Deirdre Gogarty in paving the way for women to box should not be overlooked. In 1997 she became women’s boxing champion of the world despite little support from her homeland.
Gogarty has long retired from pro boxing and now lives in Louisiana, US, where she coaches young boxers, but not before she realised her dream of becoming a champion boxer. She had to emigrate to achieve her goal because at that time the Irish Boxing Union did not even allow girls into the ring. She made her professional debut in London in 1991 and enjoyed great success afterwards in the United States. – Yours, etc.