Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady has today called on Tánaiste Simon Harris to intervene and reverse his government’s decision not to support Katie Taylor’s goal of defending her title in Croke Park.
Speaking recently, Katie Taylor reiterated that it would be a “dream come true” for her to end her career with a fight at Croke Park, in the country she loves and has represented throughout her whole career.
Teachta Brady said:
“Katie Taylor is one of Ireland’s greatest ever athletes, and a huge source of inspiration for people, especially young women, in Wicklow and across the country.
“She has often said that fighting at Croke Park and ending her career in front of her home fans is one of her ultimate dreams.
“It is massively disappointing that the government, and particularly Wicklow TD and Tánaiste Simon Harris refuses to take any steps towards making this dream a reality.
“This is despite often being the first to bask in Katie Taylor’s many successes over the years, and to jump in photographs for social media.
“This inaction is particularly jarring when you consider the events that the government have found money for – €10 million for the recent NFL game at Croke Park, many millions more on the US College Football series every year since 2022, and €58 million spent directly on the Ryder Cup in Adare.
“Yet they don’t lift a finger for a female sporting icon who represents a working-class sport.
“This speaks volumes for the government’s failure to invest in boxing over the years, an approach that has left four boxing clubs homeless in Wicklow alone.
“It’s symptomatic of the two-tier approach that exists in this government’s prioritising of funding for different sports.
“Katie Taylor defending her title in Croke Park would be an Irish sporting moment for the ages.
“It’s not good enough to say that this is solely a matter for the GAA when there is clearly a precedent for the state involving itself in sporting events seen to be in the national interest.
“It is well within the government’s authority to help make this happen, and I would urge Simon Harris to reverse this decision and engage directly with Katie Taylor and the GAA to deliver this potentially defining sporting event.”
ENDS