Ireland’s biggest ever boxing occasion was accompanied by a Dublin city centre packed with fight fans and, more pertinently, fans of Katie Taylor.
The 40-year-old will end her career on a stage that few boxers, man or woman, have ever fought – in front of 82,000 people.
The scepticism that she could sell out such a vast arena as Croke Park was confounded when tickets sold out quicker than most people save the promoters believed.
Her fight against her French opponent Flora Pili, 11 years her junior and undefeated in 12 bouts will be for the WBA, WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine super-lightweight titles, while also fighting for the vacant WBC belt.
Taylor was only defeated once in her professional career, against Chantelle Cameron in the 3Arena three years ago.
The bookies were offering very shot odds on her winning on Saturday night and very long odds on her largely untested opponent upsetting the party.
The largest attendance ever for a woman’s sporting event in Ireland will also be a largest showcase for Irish boxing with a myriad of Irish boxers on the undercard, but Taylor is the one they have really come to see.
The national anthem will be sung by cousins, Aoife Scott and Roisin O, from the Black family.
Roisin O has taken time out from her wedding preparations to sing on Saturday night. She is due to get married next week.
The call to sing the national anthem only came late last month. “It’s absolutely mental,” said Aoife Scott. “It’s very surreal. I was in the ring last night rehearsing. We had a rehearsal this morning to settle the nerves.”
Fans making their way to Croke Park say Taylor is not just a female sporting icon but a feminist icon too.
“I do a lot of women’s advocacy work in Ireland with Ruth Coppinger and other TDs and she is a massive inspiration for us,” said Becca Clarke from Bagnelstown, Co Carlow.
Emma Bowden has previously travelled to Manchester to see Taylor fight.
“What she has done for women in general not just women in sport is amazing,” she said.
“Is there any other female athlete in the world who could pack out a place as big as this? She’s phenomenal.
“We were coming up on the bus today and it was packed with women and men. How many men follow female athletes around the world?”
Laura Sheridan from Cavan said being at Taylor’s last fight is “something to tell your grandchildren about”.
She added: “She is the greatest Irish sports person, she should have been celebrated long before this event. We’ll never get a woman like Katie Taylor again.”
Republic of Ireland men’s national team striker Troy Parrott, who scored the winner playing for Real Betis against Real Madrid on Friday night, posted his own video tribute online in advance of the fight.
“We’re training tomorrow because we have another game on Tuesday, but if we weren’t then I would have tried to get home for it. It’s going to be a great show.”
“I’m a very, very big fan. What she’s done for Irish sport in general has been something that someone can only dream of.”
Taylor’s manager Eddie Hearn said the crowd at Croke Park was not a typical boxing crowd.
“This is about a young girl who walked into a boxing club being told that girls are not allowed to box,” he told the Croke Park crowd.
“She broke those barriers. She is the reason that there are so many young girls into boxing because she walked that path. She resonates with every single generation from this country.”