Katie Taylor most admired sportsperson for eighth year in a row
Lands Katie Championship On Taylor Jab During Serrano Undisputed Fight A Their World Lightweight Straight Icon: Stephen Amanda Pic: Mccarthy/sportsfile
Katie Taylor remains Ireland's most admired athlete, while our Paris Olympics team has earned the 'team of the year' tag in the annual Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index.
In the survey of 1,000 people nationally, female athletes dominate the 'most admired' list with Taylor, Rhasidat Adeleke and Kellie Harrington in the top three spots.
The Olympic team scooped 28% of votes in the Team of the Year category, for their exploits in winning four gold and three bronze medals in Paris.
The Ireland men’s rugby team takes second place with 17% following their successful defence of the Six Nations title. That was also voted the greatest sporting achievement of 2024.
Katie Taylor’s only fight in 2024, defeating Amanda Serrano in November, was enough to secure her the title of Ireland’s most admired athlete for an eighth successive year
Intriguingly, Kellie Harrington’s rendition of ‘Grace’ with Irish supporters at Roland Garros following her gold medal bout, was declared the Most Memorable Sporting Moment, receiving 14% of the vote.
In joint second place on 11% are Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy’s defence of their Olympic title in the men’s lightweight double sculls and the moment Katie Taylor’s hand was raised in victory following her fight with Amanda Serrano.
According to the survey, Gaelic games, when you combine Gaelic football, ladies Gaelic football, hurling and camogie, is Ireland’s favourite sport for the seventh consecutive year. Soccer is second with 18%, followed by rugby on 15%. Tennis and golf share fourth position on 5%, while athletics drops down one spot to sixth taking 4% of the vote alongside horse racing and motorsport.
Some 88% of all respondents say they are interested in sport, while one in five Irish adults volunteered in sport over the last 12 months.
The 2025 Men’s Six Nations, where Ireland go in search of a third successive title, is the most anticipated sporting event of 2025 with 30% of the vote.
In second place with 15% is the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, while the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship takes third spot on 12%.
Kelli O’Keeffe, Managing Director, Teneo Sports Advisory, commented: "While Katie Taylor retains her place as Ireland’s most admired athlete it is fantastic to see that she is now joined by Ireland’s newest superstar Rhasidat Adeleke, showing that the future is bright for Irish sport with young athletes coming through and really making their mark.
"Sport cannot exist without volunteers. Volunteering was heavily impacted during Covid and it is really heartening for us to see that we are now back to one in five people giving of their time for sport in Ireland.
"Gaelic games, soccer and rugby may be the drivers of our interest in sport, but it is heartening to see just how many sports are called out as being part of our nation’s sporting tapestry. 2025 is set to be another big year for sport with the Six Nations, the All-Ireland Senior Hurling and Football Championships and UEFA Women’s Euro’s being amongst the most anticipated events of the year.”