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Scenes in Bray as Katie Taylor won her final fight. Christina Finn
hometown girl
As Katie Taylor bowed out of her boxing career, the Bray crowd cheered on their hometown hero
Generations have grown up alongside Katie Taylor’s career and the Bray crowd were bursting with pride.
WIN, LOSE OR draw, the people of Bray will still love Katie Taylor, Marie Keogh from Wolfetone in Bray said ahead of Katie Taylor’s final fight.
She was one of the 1,500 people that turned up to the Seafront Fanzone to watch Katie see her dream turn into reality in the Croke Park finale.
While the crowds were smaller than the 2012 numbers that gathered at the bandstand to welcome the Bray fighter home from the London Olympics, there was a sizeable crowd.
Many were donned in their Katie Taylor merchandise – hats, scarfs and flags.
There was definite Croke Park envy, with a few The Journal spoke to saying they weren’t lucky enough to get tickets. Being in Bray was the next best thing, they said.
It very much felt like a family affair, with parents and children who arrived early seated up front in their deckchairs. Katie is a role model to so many young children, and that was evident last night.
Right in front of the giant screen, young boys and girls, no more than the age of six, sat cross-legged and wide-eyed, awaiting the first glimpse of their sporting hero.
Waiting for Katie to take to the ring, one young boy could be seen shadow-boxing before the crowd, eager to show off his skills.
A mother and daughter, Annmarie and Hannah, who were in the crowd said that in 2012, Hannah was just four years old when she came to see Katie’s welcome home party. It seemed fitting that they would come to see her final fight.
Before the main fight, there was tension in the air.
Bray’s Katie
The people of Bray are very protective of Katie, they always have been, from her early successes, to her Olympic wins, to her final showdown in Croke Park. They have watched Katie grow up.
There’s a sense that she is somewhat like the daughter of the town. So there was a feeling of nervousness as the crowd as 10pm approached.
From the moment the crowd spotted their first glimpse of her in the tunnel, the people erupted in cheers.
As the fight moved through the 10 rounds, the atmosphere built. “Come on Katie” roars abounded.
In the 7th round, there were quite a few with their hands over their mouths or biting their nails as their woman got a few heavy shots to the head.
But, faith in Katie’s talent never wavered.
As the 10th round approached the end, and Katie took her final punches as a professional boxer, her supporters’ were already on their feet, cheering on their local hero.
Emotional scenes
There were tears too. One woman turned to her friend: “This is so emotional”.
Smoke bellowed from either side of the stage as the fight came to an end, with people in the crowd cheering and embracing in celebration of what has been an illustrious career for one of their own.
There was pride on many of the faces. Katie has boosted the town and its people over the years, and made young people in particular believe that anything is possible.
For the people of Bray, last night was about saying goodbye to one of their own and celebrating everything Katie Taylor has come to represent, as well as the memories she has created for so many in her hometown.
Win, lose or draw, Katie will always be Bray’s Katie — and long after that final bell, the pride she has given the town will remain for years to come.
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