Katie Taylor's promoters set for Croke Park talks on Friday

Sarah Slater

Two former Lord Mayors of Dublin are calling for three boxing stars to be guaranteed places in a proposed retirement and homecoming event for boxer Katie Taylor at Croke Park before an event licence is granted.

Taylor (39) is the first Irish woman to win an Olympic Gold medal in boxing back in London in 2012 and is a two-weight undisputed world champion.

Last February, Taylor announced plans to retire following a final homecoming fight in Dublin, scheduled for this summer.

The Co Wicklow native wants to close her 20-year career with a bout in Croke Park as the preferred venue.

If the event is not held in the GAA headquarters of Croke Park, the 3Arena or Aviva Stadium are being mooted as options. It is not yet known who her boxing opponent will be.

Boxing promoters, Taylor representatives and Croke Park officials are to meet this Friday to further negotiations.

Independent councillors Christy Burke and Nial Ring are to bring a motion before this month’s Dublin City Council Central Area Committee that would tie support for an outdoor event license to include double Olympic gold medallist Kellie Harrington, World Champion Pierce O’Leary and former Olympian Emmet Brennan on the card.

All three are from Dublin’s north inner city.

The councillors’ move is being made with the backdrop of ongoing discussions between promoters, Croke Park officials and the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, about staging a high-profile fight night headlined by Taylor, who now lives in the US.

Both former Lord Mayors said they will seek backing from fellow inner-city councillors to ensure that any license for the event being granted by Dublin City Council, is contingent on local representation in the boxing ring.

“It seems that there are still ongoing discussions between boxing promoters, Croke Par and Minister O’Donovan to have a homecoming event for Katie Taylor,” said Cllr Ring.

Burke added they are “asking for support from fellow inner city councillors that the planning department refuse an outdoor event license unless the promoters guarantee a homecoming slot for Kellie Harrington, International Boxing Organisation (IBO) World Champion Pierce O’Leary, and Emmet Brennan, who is a professional boxer and an Olympian who represented Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics.”

Under the motion terms, the committee would only support a license if the three conditions are met.

These include a guaranteed place on the main card for Harrington, a significant title or high-profile bout for O’Leary and Brennan and a dedicated allocation of tickets for local residents and boxing clubs in the Dublin 1 and Dublin 3 areas.

The motion, which will go before the Committee in nine days' time, also proposes that councillors would formally object to any licensing application that does not meet these conditions and that the decision would be communicated directly to Croke Park management, the Minister and promoters.