Katie to decide future after break
Team Ireland gold medal winner Katie Taylor has said she will take a break before deciding where her future lies.
The 26-year-old said she will consider all options, including a professional contract or staying in the amateur ranks and defending her title at Rio 2016.
Katie is making her way home with the rest of Team Ireland and will be landing at Dublin Airport soon.
Katie said: "I am not really sure what I am going to do yet, it is a tough decision. I am going to take a few weeks off, but if I am offered a good contract, obviously I will have to consider it.
"It is my future, it is my career as well so I will have to consider a good professional contract or else I could stay amateur and try to defend my Olympic title.
"Either way it is going to be an exciting career, but I will make that decision in the next few weeks."
Meanwhile, gardaí have said that diversions will be in place and they will be closing some of the roads around Katie's hometown of Bray in anticipation of the crowds expected to welcome her home.
Open-top bus parades will take place later today in Bray and in John Joe Nevin's home town of Mullingar in Co. Westmeath.
Strand Road in Bray will be closed from 3pm until the homecoming is finished with parking restricted at:
Seapoint Road,
Meath Road at its junction with Albert Avenue,
Putland Road from Strand Rd to junction with Meath Road,
Adelaide Road from Quinnsborough Road to Florence Road,
East and West side of Seafront from Albert Avenue to Convent Avenue.
Free parking for the event will be provided at the following locations:
Presentation School, Putland Rd.
St Thomas School on Novara Avenue.
Holy Redeemer Church Car Park on Herbert Rd.
Old Dell Site at Boghall Road / Vevay Road.
Mullingar town centre will be closed between 6pm and 7.30pm for the homecoming of John Joe Nevin.
Local diversions will be in place and a coach will bring Nevin to Cusack Park from Patrick Street on the Athlone side of the town.
Belfast boxers Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan will be welcomed home at the Titanic museum in Belfast with a parade through the city centre tomorrow.
Dr John Lynch, Chairman of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association, has hailed the "huge success" of Ireland's boxers in London.
Dr Lynch said: "Our sport has been the source of extraordinary and lasting pride to the Irish nation. John McNally won our first boxing medal in 1952 at the Games in Helsinki and 60 years later we are still delivering. It is our pride and passion.
Our sport is purely amateur, democratic, non-sectarian, community based and recognises no borders. It is a sport of the people.
"The huge success in London is largely due to the formation of a coaching strategy put in place in 1989 by the IABA."
Dr Lynch highlighted Gerry Story, Austin Carruth, Michael Hawkins, John Mahon, Brendan O’Conaire, and Gary Keegan as the people responsible for preparing the ground for "this golden age of Irish boxing".
He said: "We thank all the Presidents of past years; in particular, current President Tommy Murphy. At grassroots level, the hard work of the clubs, boxing council, county boards, provincial council and team of volunteers produces these diamonds.
"Katie Taylor, Paddy Barnes, John Joe Nevin, Michael Conlon, Adam Nolan, Darren O'Neill, Billy Walsh, Peter Taylor and Zaur Antia have done their country proud. Their achievements in London have lifted the nation."
He went on to thank the Government, successive Ministers and the Sports Council for the funding of boxing.
Dr Lynch said: "Some people think boxing is for the Olympics. And we prove today it is. But boxing is a passion for so many communities up and down the country.
"It is also one of the great spectator sports. Ask the thousands who stood in the sunshine in Bray on Thursday; ‘is it a great spectacle?’ - they’ll give you the answer."
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