How a famously close father and daughter fell out in spectacular style
Six years after they enjoyed Olympic success, it’s sad to think that Katie Taylor and her dad Pete are no longer on speaking terms, writes Jane Last
PETE and Katie Taylor once dominated the back pages – a sporting success story involving a seemingly unbreakable bond between a loving father and his daughter.
Their partnership led to huge success across 10 years, and it was thanks to Katie that women’s boxing became an officially recognised sport.
But this week, Katie has confirmed she is “estranged” from her father, and has been for the past three years.
Now they find themselves on the front pages for all the wrong reasons.
So how did a famously close father and daughter fall out in such spectacular style that they are barely in contact?
Katie’s statement – issued from her base in New York on Thursday night – paid tribute to Bobby Messett (50), an innocent father-of-three who was murdered as he attended Bray Boxing Club for a workout session on Tuesday morning. “I can’t imagine the despair or the sense of injustice they must be dealing with,” Katie said.
After this, the Olympic champion made a curious reference to her father, who was shot and wounded in the gun attack, confirming their estrangement.
“As many of you know, I have been somewhat estranged from my dad for a number of years now. I’ve had little contact with him in the last three years and no contact or association whatsoever with Bray Boxing Club since 2015,” Taylor said.
Almost six years ago, some 20,000 people flocked to Bray to welcome home Katie from the
2012 Olympics.
Holding her medal aloft, she choked back tears as she thanked her hometown for its support.
Prior to her success at the Olympics, Ireland was already acquainted with Katie’s talent inside the boxing ring – and well aware of the man in her corner, her father Pete.
As a child, Katie excelled in many sports – GAA and athletics, as well as playing football for Ireland’s national women’s team at under-17, under-19 and senior level.
Pete, an amateur boxer himself who had to retire from the sport at the mandatory age of 35, spotted his young daughter’s extraordinary talent for boxing at the age of 11 and started coaching her, setting up Bray Boxing Club. This was at a time when women’s boxing wasn’t officially recognised as a sport. The story went round that young Katie fought in tournaments as ‘K Taylor’ with her hair tucked into her helmet. But soon Katie’s profile in the sport started to rise. The pinnacle came
at the 2012 Olympics in London. Katie won gold for Ireland – and the combined star power of Katie and her father was truly in the ascendant.
When they arrived home, they were greeted to a hero’s reception – and Pete was more than happy to let his girl shine.
His daughter enjoyed continued success under his guidance, with both dismissing reports or speculation about Katie turning pro.
But in 2015, something changed. In June of that year, Pete told reporters he believed his daughter was one of the greatest athletes of all time, and they were preparing for the Rio Olympics.
Five months later in November, Katie won the Irish National Championships for the fifth time, but Pete was not in her corner.
Days beforehand, it was announced he was stepping down from his role as his daughter’s coach.
It was suggested that Pete wanted to take some time away from the stresses of the competition, while Katie made no comment.
In February 2016, Katie was at a promotional event and was asked if it was her father’s decision to step down.
“I think you will have to speak to him about that,” she said. “All I can say is my preparation is going fantastic. And I absolutely love my family and I wouldn’t [be anywhere] without them.”
In April, Katie lost her first fight in five years – and fans were looking again at the absence of her father. “He was looking at the fight and supporting me as well,” she said afterwards. “I was on the phone to him after the fight. Just because he isn’t in my corner doesn’t mean he isn’t there to support me.”
Katie was devastated after she lost her first fight in Rio, remarking afterwards it had been a “tough year”. Her father wasn’t in Rio but speaking afterwards he hit out at the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA), saying Katie was left on her own to prepare.
In October 2016, Katie announced she was turning professional. During this time, it emerged that Pete’s relationship to Katie’s mother Bridget had ended, and he was now in a relationship with Karen Brown (30).
Pete continued to build his business in Bray, while his daughter set up base in New York, enjoying huge success in professional boxing.
And that’s how it would have continued – until Tuesday’s tragic turn of events when the murder of an innocent man in Pete’s gym sent shockwaves across the country.
When Katie issued her statement on Thursday night, she hit out at the media attention on her.
But she also confirmed what many people in boxing circles had long suspected. While we may never know why father and daughter are no longer on speaking terms, it is a sad state of affairs.
When Katie won gold in London in 2012, she turned to embrace her overjoyed father.
It’s sad to think we will never see a similar embrace again.