By Andy Spearman
The story of Deirdre Gogarty’s journey to becoming the Women’s World Boxing Champion began at a bus stop at the top of the Marsh Road in Drogheda. Yesterday she told a large crowd, many of them young girls, at the unveiling of a statue to mark her achievements, about a day 37 years ago when she stood crying in the cold and rain as she waited for a bus home to Mornington.
It seemed to the young Deirdre that the whole world was against her achieving her ambition to become a boxer and she had received yet another refusal that afternoon after school.
“I remember standing at the bus stop thinking “this is the worst day of my life” Deirdre said yesterday. But the fighter in her refused to accept “no” for an answer and she kept turning up at the door of the boxing club asking to join and eventually she was allowed in.
The rest of the story of how she carved out a career for herself and rose to the top of female boxing is now the stuff of legends.
Boxing was an all-male affair back then and she had to travel to America to pursue a professional career in the ring but once her efforts were recognised her rise through the ranks was rapid.
“Back then people saw what I was doing but there was a certain reluctance about it” Deirdre said yesterday. She told her adoring audience that someone once said to her “Even if they ever allow women to box in Ireland, which they probably won’t, no one will watch it!”
“Well I’d like to argue with that! I’m thinking of Katie Taylor filling up stadiums, I’m thinking of Kellie Harrington winning two Olympic gold medals, I’m thinking of the last four Olympics with Irish women bringing home three gold medals. All of that that is pretty good huh?
“People often ask me why I picked boxing, but I didn’t really pick boxing, it picked me. I felt I had to do something to make it easier for other women to fight because I knew I couldn’t possibly be the only woman in the world who wante7d to box!
“Boxing is too hard of a sport to choose, it’s a calling to get in the ring and fight and that was my calling and I often thought about giving up because it was just so hard.”
“So it’s wonderful that all these other women have taken it forward and I have no doubt there will be more world championships, there will be more gold medals.”
Thanking the men that did encourage her in the early days she said: “Joe Leonard could easily told me, ‘go away, we don’t want you, get out of here.’ Tommy Murphy could definitely have put a stop to me coming into the gym, but he came in one day and saw me working hard and he let it happen.
“I get a little bit emotional when I look at Pat McCormack because he took me in and got terrible stick for it and they’d say ‘why are you wasting your time on that girl? and he’d tell them – ‘if you had a daughter that was fighting wouldn’t you want someone to teach her how to defend herself?’
Ciaran McIvor, the man who started the campaign to erect a statue in Deirdre’s honour, said: “…. it represents something very special, it says if you are from this town and you achieve greatness, whether it is in Drogheda or on the other side of the globe we will celebrate you no matter what sex, race, or religion you are.”
“We all come from women and we have sisters, niece’s daughters or granddaughters and they all have their own choices of what path they want to take. Some will like sports, some won’t, but that’s a privilege that exists for them because Deirdre walked through the doors of Drogheda Boxing Club in April 1987.”
Joanna Byrne, also a member of the fundraising committee, said: When Ciaran first approached me about this project I was a little bit reluctant to get involved. I have a very busy life and I didn’t know if I had the capacity to dedicate myself to what was going to be a huge task.
“I’m not ashamed to say that I wasn’t totally up to speed with Deirdre’s story, I didn’t know then how hard she had to fight to achieve everything she has done as a woman. So I asked Ciaran to give me a little time to read up on Deirdre.
“As somebody who prides myself on advocating for women, and I do it every day as a councillor and in my role at Drogheda United as well I am very passionate about women having their role.
“It was a huge privilege and an honour to bring Deirdre to Drogheda United when she was home earlier in the year. To see Deirdre bring her belt out on to the pitch and to hear two and half thousand fans giving her the welcome she should have got all of those years ago was a very proud moment
“I am by no means an athlete or a sportsperson but I am a female leader in a male dominated sport and even in 2024 it is difficult for me to break down barriers for myself and for other women around me.
“So I can’t even begin to think how hard it was for Deirdre back in the day but I think I speak for everybody when I say we are united in our pride in you Deirdre and I am delighted to have played a role in making this possible so congratulations, embrace the moment because you deserve every bit of it and more.”
Mayor of Drogheda, Councillor Paddy McQuillan said, “it gives me immense pleasure to be here on this historic day to pay tribute to not only one of Drogheda’s greatest sporting heroes but one of Ireland’s greatest sporting heroes, Deirdre Gogarty.
Deirdre is a true trailblazer when it comes to boxing in this country. It is hard to believe that when, as a young woman, she walked through the doors of the Drogheda Boxing Club and demanded to be able to box, that she would become a world champion. A truly amazing achievement. You are truly inspirational and a role model for all young athletes the length and breadth of the country.
“The people of Drogheda are immensely proud to honour you as one of our own. This statue in your honour will stand tall for generations to come, weaving you into the fabric of our social and sporting history.”
Natalie Kelly of Drogheda Dolls, who was also committee member, told the audience which included many young female boxers and other sportspeople that it was important for everyone to have a dream and to strive to achieve it
Referring to the statue of Deirdre which is alongside those of boxer Tony “Socks” Byrne who won a bronze medal at the 1956 Olympics and Joey Maher who won every accolade possible in world handball before taking the world by storm with three of his sons and his daughter who won the hugely popular Opportunity Knocks on ITV television as the Maher Family Band.
“To see a lady among these two gentlemen in sports will inspire my two daughters and continue to inspire generations of daughters to come” Natalie said.
