DUBLIN — Katie Taylor headlined a sold-out boxing card at Croke Park on Sunday, with Limerick welterweight Paddy Donovan defeating Tyrone McKenna on the undercard before a capacity Irish crowd. The event marked one of the largest boxing shows staged in Ireland.

Donovan, nicknamed 'The Real Deal', faced McKenna in an all-Irish welterweight contest that promoters had billed as a domestic grudge match. The bout drew heavy interest across Irish sport and built momentum ahead of Taylor's main event.

Taylor, the two-weight undisputed champion from Bray, returned to a home stage that had long eluded Irish boxing at stadium scale. Croke Park, the 82,000-capacity home of Gaelic games, rarely hosts professional boxing, making the occasion a watershed moment for the sport in Ireland.

Organisers had emphasised the symbolic weight of staging the event at the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association, a venue steeped in national sporting identity.

Donovan's win strengthened his standing in a competitive welterweight division. Taylor's participation ensured the night drew attention well beyond boxing's usual audience.