It’s rare that any sporting achievement is universally lauded.

Domestically, any team or sportsperson will have their fans but there will be many more supporters of a rival. So it is that mention of Dublin’s six-in-a-row in the All-Ireland SFC is usually accompanied by assertions regarding the unfair advantages received in terms of finance and playing almost every game of importance at Croke Park.

While Limerick’s hurlers aren’t subjected to the same scale, it’s often pointed out that having JP McManus as a benefactor is a big help to them.

As good as Leinster are at rugby, they too tend to be open to criticism. On the one hand, their dominance isn’t good for Ireland and, at the same time, they should be winning more in Europe.

Ireland rugby team

Even when someone is wearing the green jersey and representing Ireland, they can’t necessarily count on the backing of their compatriots. The Ireland rugby team beat New Zealand and there’s a small section that wonders why they can’t do it in the World Cup.

It’s the same with others – the soccer team: sure, they’re paid millions and they can’t even beat Luxembourg; Rory McIlroy, too British; Shane Lowry, doesn’t take it seriously enough; and if our athletes are so great, how come we hardly ever win Olympic track and field medals?

Katie Taylor bucks that trend, though, as shown by the reaction to her defeat of Amanda Serrano last weekend.

But then, the Bray native bucks a lot of trends. She wears her Christianity on her sleeve at a time when publicly held religious beliefs are almost looked down upon. She desists from the cheap trash talk that pervades in pretty much every other aspect of combat sport. And she was 30 when she turned professional.

Through humility and hard work, Taylor has helped to elevate women’s boxing from a niche endeavour

That move, after a shock defeat at the 2016 Olympics, was seen as too late by many but Taylor showed that physical wear and tear are no match for the indomitability of the human spirit. On Saturday, at the age of 36, she produced what was probably her best ever performance to see off Serrano and frank her status as the undisputed lightweight champion of the world. It should be noted that Serrano was gracious in defeat, too – she tweeted: “Hey my ppl I didn’t get the decision but I think I fought a great fight Congratulations to @KatieTaylor who promised me we would rock the house. I’m happy we made women’s boxing look great tonight. Now I go & start spending some of this money lol.”

Topping the bill

When Taylor turned pro, the notion of a women’s bout topping the bill at Madison Square Garden would have seemed pie in the sky. Now, there is talk of a re-match in Croke Park and what an occasion that would be.

Through humility and hard work, Taylor has helped to elevate women’s boxing from a niche endeavour. She regularly says that her greatest achievement is paving the way for future generations. Kellie Harrington is the most prominent example of those coming along behind Taylor and there will surely be more.

Ireland rewarded for perseverance

Last weekend also saw the Ireland women’s rugby team rewarded for perseverance with a last-gasp win over Scotland in the Tiktok Six Nations Championship. Enya Breen’s try in the 84th minute was followed by a conversion from the same player and Greg McWilliams’ team came out on the right side of a 15-14 scoreline.

It was a good response to the 69-0 loss to England but even that result was misleading, to some extent – Ireland defended well in the first half to trail 10-0 at half-time before being overrun in the second half. It was a bit like how Ireland men’s sides would go to Paris in the 1970s and 1980s and battle hard for an hour before the French team, professional in but name, would ease clear.

Having been unlucky to have the 2020 competition cancelled after winning three of their four games played, Ireland have struggled since, culminating in the failure to reach this year’s World Cup. The Scotland result meant a fourth-place finish, with two wins (the other against Italy) and three losses – not where they want to be but hopefully something to build on.