Master of all she surveys

Irish Times/Vhi Healthcare Sportswoman Award for October: Katie Taylor (Boxing); It was in October 2001 that a 15-year-old Katie Taylor made Irish sporting history, along with Belfast's Alanna Audley, when she fought in - and won - the first officially sanctioned women's bout ever held in Ireland. Since then history-making has become something of a habit for the Bray fighter, not least last month when she marked the sixth anniversary of that official debut by winning her third successive European Championship title.

Eight-nil up after the first round of the 60Kg final in Denmark, against Switzerland's Sandra Brugger, Taylor stopped her opponent on the 15-point rule in round two, retaining her title with much the same ease as our panel of judges came to the decision on who should be our sportswoman of the month for October.

Taylor's advance to the semi-finals had been just as emphatic, beginning the tournament by stopping a Greek fighter in the second round, again on the 15-point "mercy" rule, before knocking out her Spanish quarter-final opponent with a left hook after just 30 seconds.

Only Ukrainian Yana Zavyalova tested the reigning champion, winning the third round of their semi-final, but Taylor had done enough in the first two to take the bout 11-4. And, in the final, Brugger simply wasn't in her class.

And so, at just 21, Taylor, who is studying Leisure Management and Fitness at Sallynoggin College of Further Education, has assembled a quite splendid sporting CV, one that features those three European titles and, the highlight, her world crown from November of last year when she won the lightweight final at the fourth Women's World Championships in India.

Ranked number one in the world in her division, Taylor is also now rated at number one in the "pound-for-pound" world rankings. Little wonder she is so frustrated by the International Olympic Committee's continuing hesitancy at including women's boxing in the Olympics.

"I would have been going for a gold medal in Beijing," she said.

Gold in London 2012, though, is her career goal, so long as the IOC give some indication that those Olympic Games will see the debut of women's boxing. If not, then Taylor may have no option but to accept one of the several offers she has received to turn professional. She would do so reluctantly.

"I will be 26 when the Olympic Games are held in London and hopefully women's boxing will be included then and I will be given the opportunity to represent my country, which would be a dream come true," she said.

This, then, is Taylor's third monthly award in as many years, and it was when she collected her second, 12 months ago, that we recalled her winning the Wicklow schoolboy footballer of the year award in her youth. Back then there simply was no category to accommodate Taylor, so a "schoolboy" she was. She continues to be a sporting pioneer.

At just 14 she was playing for the Irish under-17 football team, in 2005 she was named FAI under-19 Player of the Year, but football has had to take a back seat in the last couple of years.

"I love playing for Ireland, and I love soccer, but when it comes down to it I would choose boxing as my number one sport because I'd miss it too much if I wasn't involved," she said.

Earlier this month Taylor, who is coached by her father Peter, a former Irish light heavyweight champion, fought three-time Pan-American champion Katie Dunn of Canada in Chicago in an exhibition bout before the men's World Championship finals. She won 15-0, stopping Dunn in the second round on the "mercy" rule.

Members of the IOC were in attendance. If they finally conclude that there is no reason for women's boxing not to be included in the 2012 Olympic Games then the Bray fighter can probably take some credit for their decision. The one-time Wicklow schoolboy footballer of the year carries on pioneering.

JANUARY:Marie Breen (Basketball): Captained Glanmire to victory in the Superleague National Cup final, scoring 29 points and being named "Most Valuable Player".

FEBRUARY:Chloe Magee (Badminton): The Donegal teenager helped Ireland to the final of the Helvetia Cup, and won the singles and doubles titles at the national championships.

MARCH:Nina Carberry

(Horse racing): Carberry triumphed again at the Cheltenham Festival, winning the Sporting Index Handicap Chase on Heads Onthe Ground.

APRIL:Emma Byrne

(Soccer): The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper starred in Arsenal's perfect season when they won every competition they entered, including the Uefa Cup.

MAY:Lisa and Leona Maguire

(Golf): The 12-year-old Cavan twins shared our May award after Leona won the Hermitage Scratch Cup and Lisa reached the semi-finals of the Irish Close.

JUNE:Jessica Kürten (Equestrian): Dropped out of the world top 10 after a quiet start to the year but embarked on a run of form in April that lifted her back up to third place.

JULY:Eileen O'Keeffe

(Athletics): The hammer thrower broke the 70-metre mark five times at the National Championships and went on to finish sixth at the World Championships in Osaka.

AUGUST:Joanne Cuddihy (Athletics): Became the first Irish woman to run under 51 seconds in the 400 metres at the World Championships.

SEPTEMBER:Mary Leacy and Valerie Mulcahy

(Camogie and Gaelic football): Leacy captained Wexford to their first camogie senior All-Ireland title in 32 years, while the ever-prolific Mulcahy helped Cork footballers complete a three-in-a-row of All-Ireland wins.

Each sportswoman is eligible for just one monthly award in 2007 but her achievements through the year will be taken into account by the judges when the decision on the overall winner is made.