Taylor Wins Big At Irish Amateur Boxing Awards

Katie Taylor scooped the Boxer of the Year award at the Irish Amateur Boxing Association Annual Awards at the Green Isle Hotel in Dublin last night.

The Bray woman, the current AIBA World lightweight champion, claimed her fifth European title in-a-row and her fourth European Union gold medal on-the-trot in 2011, the IABA's Centenary year.

Taylor was also one of six boxers to receive Elite International Achievers Awards, along with Joe Ward, Ray Moylette, John Joe Nevin, Darren O'Neill and Michael Conlan.

Moylette and Ward, who secured gold at the 2008 and 2010 AIBA World Youth Championships in Mexico and Azerbaijan, won double gold for Ireland at the 2011 European Senior Championships.

Nevin, the youngest member of the five-man Irish 2008 Olympic team in Beijing at 18, O'Neill and Conlan qualified for the 2012 Olympics in London from the 2011 AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Nevin created history in Baku after becoming the first Irish male boxer to win two medals at World Championships level.

Katie Taylor's dad and coach Peter Taylor said: "Katie is absolutely delighted with the award. The previous twelve months were a big year for Irish boxing and 2012 will be crucial with the Olympic qualifiers for men and women and the Olympic Games just around the corner."

Irish Elite champion Ross Hickey, meanwhile, picked up the Elite Individual Award. Christy Joyce, Michael O'Reilly, Dylan Carr and Darren Pollock were also honoured in this category.

Katie Rowland, Michael Walsh and Austeja Acuieta were back on top of the podium after winning three bronze medals at the 1st AIBA World Women's Youth and Junior Championships last year.

The legendary Jim O'Sullivan, who claimed 10 Irish Elite titles, was inducted into the AIBA Hall of Fame, while the Ryston BC in Newbridge, Co. Kildare picked up the Best Club and Coaches award.

The Irish European Youth, Junior and Schoolboy teams were also presented with awards last evening, while Ferdie Walsh received the Best Referee & Judge (R&J) award.

World number one R&J Michael Gallagher was presented with a Special Award just a few weeks after he picked up the AIBA 2011 R&J World award in London in December.

Dominic O'Rourke, Billy Walsh, Dominic Kiernan, Joe Hennigan and Gerry Callan also had their outstanding contributions to Ireland's most successful Olympic sport acknowledged.