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Inside Katie Taylor's family life as dad Pete confirms her relationship status

Inside Katie Taylor's family life as dad Pete confirms her relationship status

Extra.ie​02-08-2025
Katie Taylor's dad confirmed that the champ is married after she was spotted wearing her wedding ring.
The boxer sparked speculation after she was photographed wearing a ring on her left hand — usually reserved for married folks — earlier this week, but kept mum on any nuptials, being famously private when it comes to her family.
However, her dad Pete confirmed in a recent podcast that his daughter is, in fact, married — although there is no info surrounding her new spouse. Katie sparked rumours that she was married after she was spotted with a wedding ring on her finger. Pic: KT
Born to mum Bridget and dad Pete, Katie is the youngest of four children. She has two older brothers in Lee and Peter, and an older sister, Sarah.
Katie's mum has previously spoken about her youngest being a 'tomboy' growing up, telling Mummypages: 'She wouldn't have been your typical girl. I have two girls and two sons.
'Katie was very close to her older brother, there's only a year and a couple of months between them, other people used to think they were twins when they were growing up!' Katie was trained by her father Pete for the 2016 Olympics, before dropping him as a coach after he left her mother for her friend. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
While her dad trained her throughout her amateur boxing career, which culminated in Olympic gold, Katie fell out with Pete after he and his mother split up; with Pete marrying Katie's then-close friend, Karen Brown.
Katie and her dad appeared to have reconciled in 2019, with the father-daughter duo stepping out together as Katie fought Amanda Serrano for the third time.
'She has good morals. She said if you've split up with my mother then I don't want you in my corner,' Pete said back in 2019. 'She knew what the outcome would be. She knew that she'd be missing me in the corner but she still had the morals to go ahead and do that. You've got to respect that.'
Pete was also nearly killed in a shooting at the Bray boxing club in 2018, which saw Bobby Messett fatally injured. A man was eventually convicted of murdering Mr Messett in 2023. Katie also earned 11 caps for the Republic of Ireland women's team, scoring two goals. Pic: Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
While women's football is bigger than it ever was, and the Irish women's team made their first World Cup back in 2023, Katie could've easily been up there as the first star for the Girls in Green.
Katie earned 11 caps for the Irish senior women's team, playing at school level for boys' teams (shades of her boxing beginnings, when she wasn't allowed to fight as a girl). She played for clubs including St James' Gate and Peamount United, winning a domestic treble with Peamount, and scored two goals for the Republic of Ireland women's team.
After sparking speculation that she was married when she was spotted with a ring on her wedding finger.
Despite being notoriously private about her personal life, Pete confirmed that his daughter was in fact married, telling the Anything Goes podcast 'Ever since the fight there with Katie, people are seeing the two of us back together, even some of the s**t you hear about that.
'I was reading somewhere that 'Katie Taylor never got married because her father wouldn't let her.' Katie's married,' Pete said. 'I'm thinking 'where are you getting this s**t from?''
Katie has never given up much about her romantic life, telling The Athletic a while ago that she hated getting those types of questions in interviews.
When asked what was her least favourite question to hear, she said: 'Probably the question about relationships. That's another question people always ask. I guess people are just interested in my personal life.
'I get it all the time. It's a bit annoying at times but I'm just polite and get on with it. I don't think male boxers get asked it, though.'
In 2019, however, she confirmed her (then) relationship status, telling the Mirror 'I'm not [seeing anyone] at the moment, I really genuinely haven't got the time.
'I'm just out in America training hard at the moment but who knows what could happen in the future.'
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‘The first time I ever cut weight, I was 8 years old'
‘The first time I ever cut weight, I was 8 years old'

The 42

time21 minutes ago

  • The 42

‘The first time I ever cut weight, I was 8 years old'

THE PAST 12 months are as close as it gets to downtime for an elite athlete with Olympic aspirations. In Jack Woolley's case, this less hectic period has been badly needed. These days, the Irish taekwondo star is based in Madrid, training in a club with a big group of international athletes. He moved there after finishing in seventh place at the 2024 Paris Games. It was not the medal win he had hoped for, but it was an improvement on the disappointing round-of-16 exit at the Tokyo Olympics. Not that he has been away long enough to feel homesick, however. Woolley was back in Ireland for an extended period earlier this year to compete in the eighth season of RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars. 'I wanted to enjoy the process for what it was,' he tells The 42. 'I didn't want to have another competitive environment. So I think after week three, I was easier on myself, I was allowing myself to make mistakes.' Competing with pro partner Alex Vladimirov, Woolley lost out in the final to fellow Olympian Rhys McClenaghan and Laura Nolan. Woolley calls the experience 'the best thing I've ever done,' adding: 'I had some time to myself. I never was able to do that, especially after Tokyo. Because it was put back a year [due to the pandemic], we only had a three-year gap between Tokyo and Paris, so that flew by.' Previously, taekwondo required its athletes to put in four years of preparation ahead of the Olympics, but it has been shortened to two. For the last 12 months at least, Woolley has been able to 'have a life and look at things outside the sport a little bit more'. He explains: 'Since I was eight years old, my focus has been to get to the Olympics and perform. This was the first time I'm here for myself, and I've seen so much self-growth in the last six to 12 months.' So after Paris, for once, the path ahead was not obvious. 'It was like: 'Okay, if the sport ended tomorrow, what do I have?' And that was the question that you have to start to ask yourself.' Woolley turns 27 next month. He is a young man in most people's eyes, but old for a taekwondo competitor. 'Unfortunately, in my sport, you never really see anybody go past 30,' he says. Consequently, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are set to be his last hurrah in the sport he has devoted his life to. One aspect he is unlikely to miss is the inherent focus on weight required for an athlete of his calibre. Jack Woolley is consoled by coach Robert Taaffe after the 58kg Repechage at the Paris Olympics. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Not every single weight class is in the Olympics — it is every second weight class. In Tokyo and Paris, he competed at 58 kilos. He has moved up to 63 now, because '58 was impossible to make'. He continues: 'I haven't made 58 kilos since the Games themselves last year. So I've moved up to 63 and I feel a lot healthier and more comfortable. And this is the path I'm going to take. But there's no 63 in the Olympics, so it's a 10 kilo jump to 68.' This year, he will participate in a couple of events at 63, including the World Championships in October, and test a few at 68, although he has not made a final call on competing at 58 or 68 for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. 'I would be considered tall for 58 but not so much at 68, so we're going to see if my game can hold up in the heavier weight class,' he adds. 'I walk around at 65, 66. It wouldn't be necessary to cut weight. 63 is fine, I just eat a little bit cleaner and don't eat after training the night before I make weight. 'But anything lower than 62, I struggle with.' The need to cut weight in combat sports can often create an unhealthy mindset, which has affected Woolley in the past. 'I've spoken about being very self-conscious and struggling with eating disorders and body dysmorphia and stuff like that. I think, unfortunately, that's what comes with weight making sports; we don't fight at our natural weights, and that can be difficult. Advertisement 'Sometimes, for me, it was bringing in weighing scales to school. The first time I ever cut weight, I was eight years old. It's kind of crazy. 'And now, in these last 12 months, knowing that I don't need to go back to 58, and if I do, it's not right now. So I'm trying to develop a healthier relationship with my body and my eating. 'Being here in Spain, I think it helps quite a lot, because we're training twice a day. I need fuel for performance, not cutting weight so consistently like in previous years. 'Also, the eating times here are structured around training sessions. They eat dinner quite late, and I've just noticed a big shift in my energy. I've not gained a lot of weight. I'm not uncomfortable with how I look. 'Sometimes I can look in the mirror. I can be too heavy for myself, but five minutes later, I can look in the mirror and be skinny. It messes with your head, the sport. 'Sometimes I look at these heavier guys and think: 'I wish I looked like that.' Then, it's a catch-22 because when I do put on the weight, I look at the 58s and I'm like: 'I wish I looked like that.' 'But I'm adapting to it. And I'm in a much better position than I was this time last year.' Being an elite athlete is a constant battle to evolve and improve. Documentaries and books, such as 'The Inner Game of Tennis' by W Timothy Gallwey, have helped the Dubliner better understand himself. 'It's all about managing your mindset and not being so critical of yourself. It's something I've needed, because when I make a mistake, I kind of shut down, whereas I need to see the positives of how to fix it, focus on myself and who's in front of me. Because often, you can have exterior pressure. You look at the crowd, scoreboards, the refs and stuff like that. That's something I have struggled with. 'So a lot of our training now is based on focus and staying in ourselves, in the moment, and not getting panicked when something doesn't go our way.' Woolley has been paying increasing attention to areas of psychology and mental health of late. Not long after the Tokyo Olympics, he was the victim of a vicious, random assault in Dublin city centre that left him hospitalised. Reaching Paris in 2024 was particularly taxing. The qualification system began before the Tokyo Games had even started. You qualify through ranking and pick up points by medalling at various competitions along the way, and the top six advance automatically. 'So we were trying our best and going to every competition possible, travelling the world, trying to block this person from getting medals, even though I had got my points,' he recalls. 'It was all very technical, mathematical, crazy.' So in 2023, Woolley competed in no fewer than 22 competitions. 'And that was 19 weight cuts. And people see these mad weight cuts online with MMA fighters. And it's like that in our sport. 'To do it 19 times, I was cutting seven kilos for every competition. 'And to do 19 of them in a year, two or three a month, sometimes, it just got very overwhelming. 'And then when I didn't qualify automatically and had to go through the qualifiers, especially then with the assault that had happened, everything just kind of built up.' As a top-level athlete, Woolley became proficient at 'shutting things out'. If something entered his mind that did not relate to competing and winning medals, he tried to push it aside. 'I think I did that way too much,' he says. 'I never addressed a lot of the issues that I was having with the weight, with the assault, with losing at the Olympics in Tokyo, there was a lot of pressure on me, and then when I didn't get in through ranking, it hit me like a wave. I was having panic attacks, suffering badly with my anxiety. I was waking up in the morning, not wanting to go to training. 'I had a habit of just dragging myself there, because if I wanted to go to Paris, then I needed to qualify through the event that was on in March 2024, so those treatments were very difficult, and I managed to qualify. 'It wasn't like a switch that I flicked that I was able to be alright again. It was an ongoing process. 'I think after the Games in Paris, I was able to step back and deal with that. Unfortunately, it happened at a pretty bad time, six months out from the Olympics. But I'm one of those people who don't want to have any regrets. I don't want to think 'what if' or anything like that.' Woolley is aiming to qualify for a third successive Olympics in Los Angeles. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo There is a video of the moment Woolley qualified for the Paris Olympics. He drops to the floor, and the sense of relief is palpable. He wanted to prove that reaching Tokyo was no fluke, having also narrowly missed out on Rio as a 17-year-old. 'I know it's doable, but it did take a lot to get there, a lot of psych work, meeting with people to talk about how I'm feeling. I was checking in with somebody every day to make sure I was focused and not getting distracted by anything, and just solely on the game, and that's what I did. 'Even in the lead up to Paris, once I had qualified, nothing changed. I still had the same focus to put in the best performance possible. 'Hopefully now, with a better environment and better headspace going into LA, I'm able to walk away with a medal.' Nowadays, he can put more focus on the sport itself, rather than 'having to train in a load of jackets to try to lose weight and sweat. Sometimes, you're just so focused on what the scales say that you don't pay too much attention to the tactical side of things. But the fact that I don't need to stress about that, it's been really good and [there have been] fewer competitions and just focusing more on training, which is something I've never really had before.' **** 'I can wear both my medals and my identity with pride.' Irish taekwondo Olympian Jack Woolley shares why representation isn't just about visibility, it's a victory, both on and off the mat.#Pride | #Pride2025 I @Irishtaekwondo I @TeamIreland I @worldtaekwondo — The Olympic Games (@Olympics) June 20, 2025 Outside of sport, too, Woolley feels happy. He recently got engaged to Dave, a personal trainer, whom he met in 2021, although the wedding will likely have to wait until after LA. The Irish star also recently teamed up with the Olympics to produce a video (see above) in which Woolley declares he is 'proud' to be a gay man. Woolley came out when he was 15, and while he has not hidden his sexuality since becoming a public figure, he says 'sometimes I find it uncomfortable to talk about' and often felt 'there was no point in talking about it'. He adds, 'Sometimes the personal life isn't well received by the sporting community.' Earlier this year, when Woolley posted news of his engagement to Dave, the Tallaght native was taken aback by the ignorant responses he received. 'There was a big increase in homophobia online, just comments and DMs. I've seen messages from people before they knew. It was like: 'You're my role model, can you give me a shout out, blah, blah, blah, we love you and your style.' 'And then they see I'm in a same sex relationship, I get a load of abuse off them. 'One minute, you're telling me I'm your role model. And now, I'm getting this abuse off you. 'I can just press block and that's the end of it for me. But that's just the way I was brought up. I'm a bit more thick-skinned. A lot of people might struggle with stuff like that, so if I'm able to raise awareness and put my name out there, and show the good and the negative side of being a gay athlete, it might help others in the future.' Woolley says 'nobody cared' when he came out in secondary school nearly 12 years ago, but he has had to deal with abuse in sport. 'I can say it doesn't affect me, but sometimes it does. You never know who's going to be at these competitions or who you're going to bump into. 'I've seen competitors that are going to be at your competition commenting on stuff like this, telling me to get out of the sport, I'm not welcome in the sport and everything like that. 'In 2022, I was walking into the ring against an opponent, and his supporters were shouting slurs at me. That was the first time I had it in person. 'I could have gone one of two ways. I could have panicked and lost that match, or I could have done what I did, and I laughed at them. I won the match, and then I just laughed at them again and walked off. 'But it can be tough. I'm able to act one way, but as I'm sitting at home and thinking about it, it can be quite difficult, because nobody else has to experience that.' In this climate, with homophobia particularly prominent on various social media platforms, Woolley can understand why some athletes and others might be reluctant to speak openly about their sexuality. 'I've had a good few DMs from people who are struggling, especially since being so open about it on national TV [during Dancing with the Stars]. 'Even talking about how I met my fiancé and his struggles — because I came out at 15, he didn't come out until he was 35. So that's two completely different stories. 'I do have his permission, but we do talk about it. And if people are struggling, I have no problem chatting with them, seeing how it fits into their lives. 'I think everybody's different. It'd be wrong of me to turn around and tell everybody: 'Oh yeah, come out. It's great.' I don't know other people's situations. 'It's not my job to do that, and I'm not going to sit around all day. But if I can help them on an individual basis — it's not something I can say for everybody — but do what's best for you is the most important thing, talk to somebody, find somebody you're comfortable speaking to, whether they even understand, or it's just to get it off your chest.' Whether it's dealing with homophobic hatred or coping with the intense pressure of a big taekwondo event, for Woolley, this past year has been all about being better equipped at handling his emotions in fraught circumstances. 'There was a saying my coach said to me the other day, and I'm trying to remember the exact words. ''You can't control the storm, but you can control how you act within it,' or something like that. It's just stuck with me. I can't control what's going on, but I can control how I react.'

Who were the best players in the 2025 ladies football championship?
Who were the best players in the 2025 ladies football championship?

The 42

time30 minutes ago

  • The 42

Who were the best players in the 2025 ladies football championship?

Hannah Tyrrell Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO In the closing minutes of Dublin's All-Ireland final win over Meath, Tyrrell limped off the pitch to a standing ovation. The three-sport legend had flagged her retirement in the build-up to the game: An ACL injury — as confirmed on the RTÉ GAA Podcast this week — was a disappointment in an otherwise fairytale finish. Turning 35 today, Tyrrell bows out a two-time All-Ireland winner and as the top scorer in the 2025 championship. She hit 6-28 in the All-Ireland series – 8-39 (5 penalties, 20 frees) including the Leinster championship — to land the ZuCar Golden Boot award. Advertisement The goalkeeper-turned-forward produced a big final performance, with five points, three from play. Her semi-final showing was special too, the Player of the Match forcing extra time with a nerveless free kick. Scoring aside, her work-rate, experience and leadership has been key for Dublin. A third All-Star is nailed on, could a first Player of the Year award follow? Kate Sullivan Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO While Tyrrell took most of the headlines, Kate Sullivan was another of Dublin's leading scorers in the championship. She finished with 5-15, all from play — the eighth highest overall, and second from play to Waterford's Lauren McGregor. Sullivan was one of Dublin's standout stars in the final, clipping 0-4 and causing serious problems for the Meath defence. The St Sylvester's speedster had other big moments en route to her fifth All-Ireland medal, none more so than her last-second equaliser against Waterford. The 25-year-old surely has her first All-Star sewn up after an impressive season in which she has matured and assumed greater responsibility. An all-round top forward, Sullivan will be many people's pick for Player of the Year. Defensive stalwarts Leah Caffrey and Sinéad Goldrick, and midfield powerhouse Éilish O'Dowd, are among other Dublin players you could make a case for. Carla Rowe was excellent when available, but the captain missed a chunk of action due to injury. Vikki Wall Leah Scholes / INPHO Leah Scholes / INPHO / INPHO While the 2025 Player of the Year should come from Dublin, the award has gone to a non All-Ireland champion in the last three years. 2022 winner Niamh McLaughlin hailed from semi-finalists Donegal, while 2023 and 2024 victors, Kerry great Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Nicola Ward of Galway, were from the beaten finalists. Wall was one of Meath's best players this year, her season-long availability key as the Royals returned to their first final since 2022. The team's undoubted spiritual leader, her versatility, power and pace was instrumental, while she chipped in with 2-11 (4 frees) as their second highest scorer behind Emma Duggan. Related Reads Dublin's first-half storm, Meath regret, and what next after one-sided All-Ireland final? 'She's given everything. This is a cherry on the top' - Dublin's retiring multi-sport star Dublin dominate Meath to win second All-Ireland in three years Duggan and young goalkeeper Robyn Murray were other bright sparks for Meath, but Wall was their difference maker. The 2021 Footballer of the Year is now set to resume her AFLW career with Premiership champions North Melbourne, having also had a stint with the Irish rugby sevens team in recent years. Who else caught your eye during the 2025 ladies football championship? Let us know in the comments section below. *****

What Irish TV channel is Liverpool vs Crystal Palace on? Kick-off time, live stream, teams and odds for Community Shield
What Irish TV channel is Liverpool vs Crystal Palace on? Kick-off time, live stream, teams and odds for Community Shield

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

What Irish TV channel is Liverpool vs Crystal Palace on? Kick-off time, live stream, teams and odds for Community Shield

You can find out how to watch the game below NEW SEASON What Irish TV channel is Liverpool vs Crystal Palace on? Kick-off time, live stream, teams and odds for Community Shield THE traditional curtain-raiser for the new Premier League season takes place today as Liverpool face Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. Liverpool go in as Premier League champions while Oliver Glasner's Palace are FA Cup holders. 3 Arne Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season in charge Credit: AP 3 Oliver Glasner led Crystal Palace to the FA Cup Credit: Getty 3 They meet in the Community Shield Credit: Getty Here's everything you need to know about the match. When is it on and what time is kick-off? Liverpool vs Crystal Palace in the Community Shield takes place today, Sunday August 10. Kick-off at Wembley Stadium is at 3pm. Where can I watch it? The game will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 2pm. Those seeking to stream the game can do so with a subscription to NowTV. What is the latest team news? Arne Slot's men have been boosted by the returns of several big names for the game. Alisson Becker is back having left their pre-season tour due to personal reasons. Virgil van Dijk is also back having been absent from Monday's friendly double header with Athletic Club due to illness. Conor Bradley also missed those games but Slot cast doubt on his availability for the Community Shield, while Alexis MacAllister is not yet ready for play 90 minutes. Ryan Gravenberch is also available and will serve his suspension for a sending off against Palace on the final day of the 2024/25 season against Bournemouth in the Premier League opener. Fuming former Premier League manager, 42, gives team talk on PITCH after embarrassing loss in first game in charge New signings Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Giorgi Mamardashvili are all in contention to feature. As for Crystal Palace, Cheick Doucoure, Matheus Franca, Caleb Kporha and Eddie Nketiah are all sidelined. What are the odds? The Merseyside giants are big favourites to win the Community Shield, and are priced at 13/19 to beat Palace. The Eagles, meanwhile, are out to 21/5. What has been said in the build-up? Sunday's game will be used to remember Diogo Jota, who tragically died alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car crash on July 3. Arne Slot praised the tributes that have been paid to the former Liverpool forward so far. He said: "First of all, the tragedy impacted us, of course, most. "But again, it impacted far more his wife, children and parents. But it impacted us as well, definitely. "The tributes that have been done since were all very emotional and impressive, every time we were somewhere. "It started off in Preston and in Asia as well. It's been emotional, but impressive as well."

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