A Wicklow TD has called for a road and park in Bray to be named after Katie Taylor and wants a homecoming party to take place to honour her.
Sinn Fein TD John Brady also wants a statue of the boxer to be erected in her hometown after her heroic win at the weekend.
Taylor defeated Delfine Persoon in the early hours of Sunday morning to be crowned the undisputed world lightweight champion at Madsion Square Garden.
There have been calls for a statue to be erected of the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in Bray, but Deputy Brady wants to see a number of other options to celebrate her win explored.
He said: “On Saturday night, Wicklow boxer Katie Taylor in becoming the undisputed lightweight champion of the world made her one of the greatest Irish sportspeople of all time. I believe that we must do something to mark this massive achievement and to honour Katie Taylor.
“In the past, Katie has been granted the freedom of County Wicklow; Daniel Day Lewis is the only other person to hold this accolade. Numerous civic receptions have also been held to honour her many achievements. In 2013, I also proposed a special ‘Katie Taylor Sports Scholarship’. This is now in place and is run every year by Wicklow County Council and is awarded to a young Wicklow sportsperson to help them excel at their sport.
“I have contacted Wicklow County Council and have asked them to look at a number of things that should be done to mark the fantastic achievement by Katie Taylor. I believe a statue should be erected in the centre of Bray to honour Katie. I also think that renaming a road in the town, possibly the Southern Cross Road, would be very fitting for the occasion.
“I have also proposed that Ballywaltrim Recreational Park in Bray would be renamed the ‘Katie Taylor Recreational Park’. As a young sportsperson, the park is where Katie would have trained and is central to her community of Ballywaltrim. Her 2012 London Olympic final was also shown on big screens to thousands of supporters in the park.
“I have also asked the council to look at organising a homecoming for Katie in Bray. I think that Katie’s achievement deserves nothing less than these measures, she is a role model of so many and also a hero and I think the people of Bray, Wicklow, and Ireland would expect nothing less.”
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