BOXING LEGENDS KATIE Taylor, Christy Martin and Jane Couch are among those who have voiced their support for a campaign to erect a statue in honour of Irish female boxing trailblazer Deirdre Gogarty in her hometown of Drogheda.
Gogarty is understood to have competed in the first ever boxing bout between two women in Ireland when she faced Anne-Marie Griffin out the back of the Shannon Arms pub, Co. Limerick, in June 1991. The professional contest, won by Gogarty over the six-round distance, was unsanctioned: female competitors were unable to take out a boxing licence in Ireland at the time.
Gogarty consequently left Drogheda for Lafayette, Louisiana, pursuing her long-held boxing ambitions in the States where the female sport was at a fledgling stage but was, at least, officially condoned and supervised.
Within five years, the Louth woman boxed at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, against future first-ballot International Boxing Hall of Famer Christy Martin, ‘The Coalminer’s Daughter’ who is now considered to be one of the greatest female professional boxers of all time. Their now-iconic six-round war took place on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s heavyweight clash with Frank Bruno, in doing so becoming the first female bout ever to feature on a major boxing pay-per-view.
Even in her decision defeat, Gogarty earned huge respect in American boxing circles and, in 1997, she won a featherweight world title in Florida.
Gogarty retired in 1998 with a record of 16-5-2, 14KOS. She remains Drogheda’s only boxing world champion and, now, almost a quarter of a century since she last threw a punch in the ring, a local committee in her hometown are attempting to raise funds for a statue to be erected in her honour on South Quay, near those of Tony ‘Socks’ Byrne, a boxing bronze medallist at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and all-time handball great Joey Maher.
“I cannot begin to express how thrilled I am about the potential of a statue in the place where my journey began,” Gogarty said. “In my days as a young woman, cycling through Drogheda on my way to the boxing club, I had such big dreams and ambitions. It was a very exciting time, but unfortunately my future as a boxer looked very bleak when door after door would slam shut against women’s boxing in 1988.
When Drogheda put up the statue of Tony ‘Socks’ Byrne, I was in awe. I wanted to accomplish great things like Byrne’s Olympic medal, but women were not allowed box amateur, or in the Olympics back then, which was hugely frustrating. I made the difficult decision to leave Drogheda, turn professional, and move to the United States. Eventually, I fulfilled my dream of winning a world title, just like my idol Barry McGuigan.
“However, it would’ve been in vain if I weren’t able to break down barriers for other female boxers. So, in the same way that I was inspired by Byrne’s statue, I hope that my statue will remind others that the most important factor in pursuing a dream is ‘persistence is everything.’”
𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃
— The Deirdre Gogarty Legacy Committee (@DeirdreLegacy) August 18, 2022
🥊 Deirdre Gogarty vs Annmarie Griffin
📍 Shannon Arms, Limerick
🗓 June 30th 1991
A lot know the story of the first sanctioned boxing match between @KatieTaylor and Alanna Audley pic.twitter.com/3Cfb7Q0FPZ
The Deirdre Gogarty Legacy Committee was started by Monasterboice native and Boxing Bants podcast host Ciarán McIvor — who has been joined by Natalie Kelly of the Drogheda Dolls charity fundraising group, Louth county councillor Joanna Byrne, Sinéad Brassil of LMFM radio, and Drogheda Boxing Club’s David Thornton — in a collective effort to mark Gogarty’s legendary career.
The committee, who held a press conference in Drogheda on Wednesday, have started a GoFundMe page with a view to raising the requisite funds for the prospective statue.
Among those to lend their support to the campaign was current undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor, who in her youth was partly inspired by Gogarty to pursue a career which has blazed a further trail for future generations.
Taylor, who famously penned a letter to Gogarty during her childhood, said of the statue campaign:
I’m delighted that Deirdre’s contribution to the sport is being recognised. She was a true pioneer for women in boxing and one of my heroes growing up. She’s been a huge support to me over the years and it’s women like Deirdre and her fights with the likes of Christy Martin who paved the way for myself and the current generation of female fighters.
Martin, who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated shortly after her bout with Gogarty and whose story was more recently detailed in the Netflix documentary Untold: Deal with the Devil, added: “Deirdre Gogarty was tough as nails in the boxing ring and together we changed the world of women’s boxing. For that alone, I think a statue is only fitting.
Deirdre Gogarty is a champion in and out of ring and it is a privilege for me to call her my friend.”
Another famed female boxing pioneer, Englishwoman Jane Couch, said:
Without Deirdre, none of us would have been able to do what we did and women’s boxing wouldn’t be in the position it is today. She was my inspiration and my reason for taking up boxing.
“Deirdre really should have a statue.”
