Parade organisers in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, confirmed the selection ahead of the event, which takes place on Saturday, March 7. Announcing the choice, Desmond J Keogh, chairman of the parade committee, said Taylor “exemplifies the theme of the 21st annual celebration – ‘Heart of a Champion: Dream, Work, Believe’”.
He praised her impact on the sport and her standing as a role model for young athletes across the world.
“Katie Taylor is the pride of Ireland, and we are honoured she will serve as our grand marshal,” Mr Keogh said in a statement on the parade’s website.
“Her determination, resilience and skill changed the face of women’s boxing,” he added.
The boxing legend turns 40 this July and, although she spent most of her life in Ireland, she moved to Connecticut in 2016 and now lives there with her husband, Sean McCavanagh, a widowed father-of-five whom she married last year.
She made a ringside appearance in mid‑February at the Golden Gloves in Lowell, Massachusetts, where she was welcomed as a special guest, and announced recently that she will hang up the gloves after a planned swansong fight in Dublin this summer.
Mr Keogh said many of Taylor’s relatives will travel from Ireland for the festivities.
“We’re thrilled that Katie will be surrounded with family for this event,” he wrote.
Taylor last entered the ring in July 2025, when she defeated Amanda Serrano by majority decision in front of nearly 20,000 fans at Madison Square Garden. The high‑profile bout, broadcast live on Netflix, was one of the most‑watched women’s boxing events of the year.
After the victory, the Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, Councillor Erika Doyle extended an open invitation to Taylor to attend a civic reception in her honour.
A civic reception was first held for the Bray native in 2012 following her gold medal victory at the London Olympics. An estimated 20,000 fans turned out on the town’s seafront for her homecoming.
Another reception was held for Katie in 2019, when she returned home after beating Belgian fighter Delfine Persoon to become the new undisputed lightweight champion of the world.