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I remember seeing her move with my naked eye for the first time. I was like: ‘What in the name of God is this?’” Peter Carroll, a combat-sports journalist and Dublin native, is recalling his first time meeting Katie Taylor. “She was 2-0. Me and maybe five other media guys are called to this tiny boxing gym in rural Ireland,” Carroll tells The Independent, leaning over a raised table in the foyer of Dublin City Convention Centre. “The gym’s roof is leaking, it’s this run-down spot, there’s room for the boxing ring and nothing else.” That’s all Taylor has ever needed. Four corners, three ropes, one canvas on which to physically plant her feet and figuratively paint a pioneer’s legacy. Born in Bray, 20 miles south of Dublin, Taylor was raised by her mother Bridget Cranley and father Pete Taylor – a former boxing champion who would coach Katie for some years. Early in her boxing journey, Katie was a girl pretending to be a boy, just for the chance to compete; now 37, she is a queen of combat sports who has carried women’s boxing on her back for over a decade. As an amateur, she claimed Olympic gold for Ireland in 2012, after carrying her nation’s flag at the opening ceremony in London. She won five consecutive world titles and took six European crowns. As a professional, she has reigned atop two weight classes, ruling the lightweight division as undisputed champion. She has headlined Madison Square Garden and earned the first seven-figure payday in women’s boxing. Until May, she had never been beaten as a pro. But this is to tell Taylor’s story as an outsider. Ireland, however? Ireland will tell you stories about Katie Taylor. “My first time hearing about Katie would have been before the 2012 Olympics,” says Mel Christle, who will be supervising Taylor’s rematch with Chantelle Cameron on Saturday, as the chairman of the Boxing Union of Ireland. “There was this little ‘legend’ – but a true one – that she was boxing teenagers and grown adults when she was young. I also heard what a talented footballer she was. I’ve no doubt that, if not for her boxing, she would’ve gone on to play for Ireland – at senior level, not just juniors. She’s just a special athlete.” Or something more. “She’s like a deity, she’s not like an athlete,” Carroll says. “I don’t think anyone has meant as much to Ireland as Katie.” Christle, Carroll and other Dublin locals are speaking to The Independent two days out from Taylor vs Cameron 2. Six months ago, Cameron stepped off a plane from England, strode into the 3Arena, and outpointed Taylor. In truth, she outworked Taylor to do so. With that, Cameron retained the undisputed super-lightweight titles, but this weekend, Taylor has another chance to take those belts from the first woman to beat her as a pro – and to become an undisputed champion in a second division. “I think what happened was, all week we celebrated the icon and forgot about the competitor,” Carroll says of the first fight. “Immediately after the event, we’re face to face with the competitor, when [her promoter] Eddie Hearn is like: ‘She wants to do the exact same thing again.’ We’re thinking, ‘Oh, my God.’ I personally think she’s the greatest Irish athlete ever, and that won’t change if she loses on Saturday. People will bring up GAA [Gaelic football] players and rugby players... Where are the world titles? I want to see you leaving this island and doing something magical.” Carroll mentions former rugby union captain Brian O’Driscoll and retired jockey Ruby Walsh as Irish athletes who “might be held in that regard”. But? “I don’t think anyone comes near Katie Taylor. I’ve never heard anyone go, ‘You know what? Katie Taylor really p****s me off,’ and she’s been around since I was a child! You can’t even compare Conor McGregor to her,” Carroll adds, referencing the former two-weight UFC champion, who once held a nation’s adoration in the palm of his 4oz gloves. “His achievements are overlooked in Ireland now, based on what he’s done outside of the cage. “The thing with McGregor was: He became a massive sensation over the space of three years, then it went away. He’s not beloved by everyone in Ireland anymore, but he was what we are. Katie Taylor is what we want to be. That’s why she’s taken on this saintly aura to Irish people. She’s the definition of Irishness for a lot of people, and when she fights and represents us, we come away feeling good.” And crucially, you don’t need to be immersed in boxing to feel that effect – the Katie Taylor effect. “She is a deity, she’s brilliant,” says Tony Coleman, a sightseeing guide in Dublin. “She put boxing on the map for every woman in Ireland, for every woman in the world. Everybody looks up to her, all the kids around Ireland look up to her. She’s not a show-off. She wouldn’t walk by a person on the street without saying hello. She’s not one of these people like Conor McGregor, coming out and shouting at people; she’s a beautiful person. You can tell that just by the way she goes on. She’s a lovely woman.” Christle echoes that sentiment. “If I could sum it up for you in one word: Humility,” he says emphatically. “She never boasts or brags. If you’re nine years old or 90, she’ll afford you the same respect.” Taylor’s commitment to her religion also contributes to her stark connection with a Catholic country. “Sports fans love Katie, and priests like Katie! She’s pure,” Carroll says, while Christle concurs: “She’s a religious soul to her core. She’s a very principled person, whether or not you believe in the same principles as her.” A patron at The Storyteller on Grand Canal Street is also quick to acknowledge that element of Ireland’s affinity with Taylor: “She believes in a higher power. The good Lord is looking down on her.” So, when Taylor fights, God looks down and Irish children look up. Everybody looks on. At 10.30pm on Saturday, Dublin and its people will stop in their tracks, having sought out the nearest TV or laptop screen – if not a seat at the 3Arena. “We’ve shown every one of her fights,” says Paul Lynch, assistant manager at the River Bar on Burgh Quay. “There’s always more people, it’s packed. It’s standing room only. And all our doormen are boxers or did MMA.” Carroll adds: “I think everybody’s always aware it’s happening. For instance, I’ll be at the fight on Saturday night, and my missus will be at home with all her mates, watching Katie fight.” Christle, meanwhile, will stop by Taylor’s locker room before the deity appears before the worshipping masses in the 3Arena. Even in the moments after Taylor’s defeat by Cameron, the mood around Ireland was positive. “It wasn’t so bad, she still did everybody proud,” Lynch says, while Carroll recalls: “All the press were saying, ‘Regardless of the result, thank God this event happened and she got to walk out in front of the Irish people and be embraced like an icon.’ We had a moment.” The mood in Taylor’s locker room, however, was altogether different. Christle insists that something was not right, just as Taylor has stated over the last two weeks. She is adamant, however, that things will be different this time. Already, she says, she “feels” different. On Saturday night, Ireland will hold its breath – a nation in awe of an athlete who has transcended far beyond that label. Read More Katie Taylor: ‘I hate these press conferences, there’s nothing to say!’ Katie Taylor: ‘Failure is where all your growth happens’ Who is fighting on the Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron undercard this weekend? What time does Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron start this weekend? How to watch Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron online and on TV this weekend Why Katie Taylor’s rematch with Chantelle Cameron has all the makings of a classic

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As the clocks go back and the days get shorter, we could all do with a boost in serotonin to fight the winter blues. One way to get just that is a spicy, vibrant, warming meal. Recent studies show that one in three Brits admit to being affected by seasonal affective disorder, with younger adults more likely to experience the mood disorder. In an attempt to lift moods through foods, I’ve created a dish that contains ingredients scientifically proven to boost your mood and warm the winter nights ahead. This beef cheek jungle curry brings the heat, with jungle curry being one of the spiciest curries to come out of Thailand. The chemical capsaicin, found in chillies, acts as an endorphin that makes our body release serotonin, which helps to lift your mood. Originating from northern Thailand, the dish is traditionally cooked out using only stock rather than coconut milk, adding to this fiery curry’s intensity and vibrant orange colour. Research has shown that bright colours can also trigger the release of serotonin to help fight those winter blues. The science Heat It’s reported that even a whiff of ginger can improve your mood. No Thai curry would complete without a healthy amount of ginger and garlic, but it’s fresh chillies that really pack a punch. Capsaicin, a chemical compound found in chillies, triggers the release of endorphins that can boost your mood, and may even reduce stress and anxiety. Increase the heat levels to give yourself a boost, and to keep warm when the cold weather kicks in. Colour Our brains respond to colour by stimulating glands which regulate hormones, including serotonin. Research has shown that bright colours can trigger the release of serotonin, which is responsible for making us feel happy and satisfied. The bright reds of my jungle curry signal excitement to the brain, whilst orange and yellow hues are the feel-good colours of the rainbow, eliciting feelings of happiness, optimism and hope. Lean proteins It’s no secret that protein is vital for a balanced diet. According to mental health charity MIND, diets high in protein can support your mental health. Protein contains amino acids which your brain needs to produce neurotransmitters – these help regulate thoughts and feelings. Beef cheek is inexpensive and packed with protein, it works perfectly in this jungle curry. Beef cheeky jungle curry recipe Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 pot jungle curry Payst 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp coriander roots, washed and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tbsp wild ginger, krachai, peeled and roughly chopped (regular ginger can be used instead) ½ tbsp coarse sea salt 200g beef cheek, trimmed (any slow cook beef can be used) 2 whole stick lemongrasses, bruised in a pestle 20g galangal, bruised in a pestle 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly to release flavour 2 tbsp table salt 1 whole garlic head, sliced in two across the cloves 4 banana shallots, chopped in half 1 tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp fish sauce 10g hot Vietnamese mint (optional) 10g betel leaves (optional, spinach can be used instead) 10g coriander 10g Thai sweet basil 10g fresh curry leaves 30g new potatoes, chopped in half 30g green beans 1 head pak choi, core removed and chopped into bite sized pieces. Fresh chillies to taste Method: 1. Firstly, braise the beef cheeks. In a large oven-proof pan submerge the beef cheeks in water and then add the lemongrass sticks, bruised galangal, lime leaves, banana shallots, table salt and whole garlic. Cover the surface of the liquid with parchment paper and the pan with tin foil to protect from the direct heat of the oven and then cook in a pre-heated oven at 100C for 8 hours (this is best cooked overnight). Check the beef cheeks before removing from the oven, they should easily be chopped with a spoon with tenderness. When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to one side to use immediately. 2. In the meantime, cook out the paste. When cooking a jungle curry, it is fried in 2 stages and then boiled, this is for depth of flavour. To start, pound the coriander root, wild ginger and garlic cloves to a paste, using the sea salt as an abrasive. 3. Next heat the vegetable oil in a wok or non-stick pan and then proceed to fry out the paste, scraping and stirring constantly. When the paste begins to darken slightly, add the jungle curry paste and continue to cook out the paste, making sure it doesn’t stick and burn, at this point add the kaffir lime leaves and the lemongrass from the beef braising stock. Continue to fry the paste until it begins to darken in colour and then add the sugar and fry for a further minute until the sugar has caramelised and the paste has darkened a little more. 4. Next de-glaze the pan with the fish sauce, 300ml of beef braising stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are beginning to soften. At this point add the pak choi, green beans and beef cheeks and use a little more braising stock if needed, then continue to simmer until all ingredients are softened and edible. 5. Lastly add all the herbs and gently toss them through the hot curry and then serve immediately, the curry should be loose, yet rich and spicy with a salty edge. Serve the beef cheek jungle curry in bowls with steamed jasmine rice, if you like top with crispy garlic, shallots and fresh chillies. The winter Mood Boosting recipe has been created by Sebby Holmes, Head Chef and owner of Farang and PAYST Read More The Independent high street Christmas sandwich and drink taste test How to host a dinner party for under £2 per portion Three new cookbooks worth buying, from James Martin to the Hairy Bikers Pearly Cow, Margate, restaurant review: Go for the steak, but stay for the potatoes What does Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt cook at home? Don’t throw away Thanksgiving leftovers - here’s what you can do with them