The letter a young Katie Taylor wrote to a pioneering female boxer has been published ahead of her fight in Croke Park on Saturday. 

Deirdre Gogarty is the first Irish woman to win a boxing world title, having left Ireland to pursue her dreams in America. 

In 1997, she received a letter from Taylor who was then 11-years-old but already dreaming of sporting glory. 

In the note, the young Katie wrote that she is “fed up not being able to get fights especially when I see lads that I spar winning championships”. 

She expressed a desire to see Gogarty fight in Ireland one day, however, she expressed doubts about the future of women’s sport. 

“I can’t see boxing for girls taking off over here in the near future,” she wrote. 

“I can see why you had to go away to get fights. Hopefully things will change over the next few years but maybe one day they’ll even let us box in the Olympics.” 

On The Claire Byrne Show, Ms Gogarty said that she planned to watch Taylor in Croke Park this weekend and described the fight as “so incredibly healing for me”. 

“People said women would never be accepted and nobody would want to watch us perform,” she recalled. 

“And now she's filling out this massive stadium - I'd like to know what those people have to say now.” 

Having moved to America to box professionally, Ms Gogarty’s contact with the boxing community back home was limited. 

“This letter means so much to me because when I moved to the United States, I was so isolated,” she said. 

“There was no social media or WhatsApp, there was very little communication.

“So, when I got a letter, it meant a lot to me and this letter from 11-year-old Katie Taylor, I could just see the passion in her.”

Taylor takes on French opponent Flora Pili on Saturday at 10.08pm. 

Main image: A split of Katie Taylor and her letter. Pictures by: INPHO/Gary Carr and D Gogarty.