When Katie Taylor steps into the ring tomorrow night for a momentous farewell – the last Irish boxer, who fought in Croke Park, 54 years ago, will be among the 80,000 spectators.
Paddy Doherty from Ballyshannon, Co Donegal will sit in the Ardchomhairle seats with his family, at the invitation of the multi-weight world champion’s team.
Doherty was on the undercard when Muhammad Ali faced Al ‘Blue’ Lewis in Croke Park on 19 July 1972, the only time the boxer known as ‘the greatest’ fought in Ireland.
While Ali defeated Lewis in an 11th round stoppage in July 1972, Doherty subsequently defeated his opponent, Bobby Ruff from Wales with a second-round stoppage.
The Ali spectacle attracted 18,000 spectators. It was organised by Michael ‘Butty’ Sugrue, a circus strongman, entrepreneur, and boxing promoter from Kerry.
That same year, the Five Nations Championship was abandoned as Scotland and Wales refused to travel to Dublin, in one of the worst years of the troubles.
Doherty said that he “couldn’t believe it,” when Katie Taylor recently called to his home in Co Donegal along with her manager, Brian Peters.
“Brian Peters called that he was in Donegal … that morning, my wife said ‘Katie Taylor’s after coming in past the house’. I couldn’t believe it.
“What she has done for Irish boxing all over the world (is remarkable). Out from that, she’s a real lady.
“They invited the whole lot of us on Saturday night. It was a nice surprise. He (Brian Peter) said ‘I’ll see you in Croke Park’,” Doherty added.
He said he hopes the spectacle will be a fitting end to Taylor’s career and added that he believes what her manager Brian Peters has done for boxing has been “fantastic”.
When asked about Taylor’s opponent, 29-year-old undefeated French boxer Flora Pili, Doherty said Taylor’s experience will help.
“If I’m talking to her before the fight, I’ll tell her, ‘if she keeps coming to her, to tie her up in knots … let the referee do the breaking and get back for boxing’,” he said.
Doherty’s own boxing story began in Ballyshannon, aged 11. He rose through the amateur ranks, winning Ulster and Irish titles from juvenile through to senior level.
He won Commonwealth Games bronze in Edinburgh in 1970. He was eligible to represent Northern Ireland as his father was born in Fermanagh.
Doherty was a prominent Irish international amateur light-middleweight, winning 15 fights and suffering one defeat. He turned professional and moved to London in 1971.
He first featured on a Muhummad Ali undercard in October 1971, when Ali fought Johnny ‘Gypsy’ Frankham in an exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
When Ali was set to appear in Croke Park on 19 July 1972 – Doherty was asked to feature on the undercard again.
He recalled meeting Ali at the weigh-in that took place at the Gresham Hotel as well as the atmosphere in Croke Park.
“He tapped me on the head coming into the ring (in Croke Park),” Doherty said.
He added: “Most of the crowd came over the barrier into the ring. Even the security and the guards couldn’t keep them back, just to get to Ali.”
Professional boxing is set for its first return to Croke Park since 1972 in what will be the best attended boxing match in Irish history.
Paddy Doherty, who stopped boxing in his 20s after an injury, believes Katie Taylor’s legacy will not be repeated.
“I will be there (tomorrow night) for Katie Taylor; she’s so calm and nice … a down-to-earth girl. What she’s done for boxing will never be done again,” he said.