BOXING Katie Taylor adds to her accolades and is named Sportswoman of the Month

Bray boxer, Katie Taylor, has today added to her growing list of accolades by being named The Irish Times / Irish Sports Council 'Sportswoman of the Month' for September, following her third consecutive International Boxing Association (AIBA) world lightweight title. The news comes just 24 hours after Taylor was announced AIBA world female boxer of the year.

Taylor beat China's Cheng Dong 18-5 to take her the title in Barbados last month; her 100th victory in 106 matches since 2001.

However it was Taylor's performance in the semi-final against Queen Underwood that was the highlight from Barbados. After a blistering start to the bout, Taylor led 10-1 but the American fought back brilliantly and with only seconds left in the fight the score was 16-16. But somehow Taylor managed to summon the energy to deliver two more shots, giving her an 18-16 victory in one of the toughest fights of her career.

Taylor's impressive accomplishment makes her a serious contender for the overall Sportswoman of the Year award, for which she will battle against the other monthly winners at the end of the year.

Taylor has already won the overall Sportswoman of the Year award in both 2007 after winning her third successive European Championship title in Denmark and in 2008, following her second world lightweight title at Ningbo, China, where she also beat Cheng Dong.

Established in 2004, the aim of the Sportswoman of the Year awards is to recognise the abilities and achievements of women in Irish sports. The awards run over a 12 month period, with the judges selecting a winner each month for her ability to excel at sport. From the 12 monthly winners, the overall Sportswoman of the Year is selected and announced in January. The winner is decided by a judging panel, which is represented by individuals from The Irish Times, RTة, and the Evening Herald.