The 25-year-old from County Wicklow, the triple world champion in the lightweight devision, completed another superb year by winning her fifth consecutive European title and her fourth consecutive European Union gold medal in what was the IABA's Centenary year.

She will be overwhelming favourite to claim gold at London 2012 when women's boxing makes its debut as an official Olympic sport and Taylor's father and coach Peter Taylor admitted it was a huge boost to get the award heading into the 2012 Olympics.

"Katie is absolutely delighted with the award," he said.

"The previous twelve months were a big year for Irish boxing and 2012 will be crucial with the Olympic qualifiers for men and women and the Olympic Games just around the corner."

As well as taking home the big prize of the evening, Taylor was one of six boxers in attendance to receive one of the Elite International Achievers Awards along with John Joe Nevin, Darren O'Neill, Michael Conlan, Ray Moylette and Joe Ward.

Nevin, O'Neill and Conlan are named after the trio qualified for the London 2012 Olympics at the 2011 AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.


Meanwhile Moylette and Ward receive the accolade after both winning gold for Ireland at the 2011 European Championships.

Irish Elite champion Ross Hickey picked up the Elite Individual Award with Christy Joyce, Michael O'Reilly, Dylan Carr and Darren Pollock were also honoured in this category.

Katie Rowland, Michael Walsh and Austeja Acuieta were back on top of the podium after winning three bronze medals at the inaugural International Boxing Associaion (AIBA) Women's World Youth and Junior Championships last year.

The legendary Jim O'Sullivan, who claimed ten Irish Elite titles, was inducted into the AIBA Hall of Fame while the Ryston BC in Newbridge, County Kildare picked up the Best Club and Coaches award.

The Irish European youth, junior and schoolboy teams were also presented with awards last while Ferdie Walsh received the Best Referee & Judge (R&J) award.

Referee and Judge Michael Gallagher was presented with a Special Award just a few weeks after he picked up the AIBA 2011 Referee and Judge of the Year trophy in London in December.

Dominic O'Rourke, Billy Walsh, Dominic Kiernan, Joe Hennigan and Gerry Callan also had their outstanding contributions to Ireland's most successful Olympic sport acknowledged at the award ceremony. 

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