Katie Taylor Reflects on ‘Fairytale Ending’ a Month on From Croke Park Farewell
Katie Taylor has admitted she was close to tears watching back her final ring walk, as the magnitude of her Croke Park farewell continues to sink in a month on from the monumental night.
With the support of the nation behind her, the Bray native brought her remarkable career to a close on September 5th, in front of 80,000 fans packed in to the GAA’s headquarters, an ocassion befitting one of Ireland’s greatest and most influential figures.
While emotions came close to the surface during fight week, the two-weight undisputed champ’ told Irish-Boxing.com that she was determined to focus on the task at hand, whilst also being aware that the weight of the moment might get the better of her as she made her final walk.
“I was actually very worried all week that I was going to be emotional making that walk my final ever ring walk” Taylor said.
“Just all week the whole build up was very special… there was this buildup of reflection and celebration that I had to supress stepping into the ring”
“Thankfully, I was able to compose myself and stay focused on the fight. But it was just an amazing night, what a special way to end my career, it really was a fairytale ending for me. I dont think you could have wrote a better script, it was very special.”
The 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist revealed that the emotions returned when she watched footage of her final journey to the ring in the days and weeks that followed, while messages from fans indicate that the moment had struck a chord far beyond the ring.
“I was only choking up a few days ago actually watching back the ring walk” she said.
“And I’m not the only one. So many people have actually texted me saying that they actually cried watching that ring walk.”
For all the anticpation and emotion surrounding that poignant night in ‘Croker’, Taylor explained that she remained dialled in on the fight itself, putting all externalities to one side until her work between the ropes was done.
“Once that final bell went, that’s when I took it all in” she said.
“Every last drop of that atmosphere I was actually drinking it in, and that was the right time to enjoy it and take it in, when the job was actually done.”
Her concentration on the fight was to the point that even the fireworks display that accompanied her ring walk had passed her by, only realising the full spectacle when she looked back on photographs the following day.
“Even the next day, looking back on the ring walk, I said ‘Gosh, there’s fireworks.’ So that’s how focused I actually was” she recalled.
In the weeks since that hallowed night in the capital, the Wicklow woman said now she has had an opportunity to reflect on her career away from the demands of competition, with a theatrical production documenting her career providing a new offering to look forward to.
