Taylor may don professional gloves

Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor’s father and coach Peter Taylor has confirmed they will meet professional boxing promoters from the US and Britain tomorrow.

Mr Taylor said he and his daughter loved amateur boxing but she had "won everything" in that discipline and the pair of them were thinking about challenges rather than money.

"We're talking to the professional promoters…we've a meeting tomorrow with a few professional promoters. We'd love to stay for Rio de Janiero as well," he said.

"My preference would be for Katie to stop altogether but Katie's made the choice she wants to carry on boxing. We'll support her 100 per cent. So we've talks tomorrow and we'll see where that leads."

The promoters were based in "both the States and England", he said. "There's nothing in concrete yet," he stressed.

Mr Taylor said they would also hold talks with the Sports Council. He said the Sports Council had been "so good to us" over the last few years before female boxing became an Olympic sport. "We're not just going to walk away from them like that," he said.

He was speaking at a reception hosted by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

At the reception, Mr Kenny told the athletes they had inspired youngsters in parishes, estates, streets, townlands and villages across Ireland. "Thank you for being and for showing Ireland at its sporting best."

He said becoming an Olympian was an experience that no-one could take away from them for the rest of their lives.

He also thanked the parents of the Olympians "for raising such exemplary sons and daughters".

Medalists Katie Taylor, John Joe Nevin, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlon were there, along with chef de mission Sonia O'Sullivan and Pat Hickey of the Olympic Council of Ireland.

Senior Ministers present included Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin and Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney. Minister of State with responsibility for sport Michael Ring was also there.

This afternoon's gathering at Farmleigh was the second of  two welcome-home ceremonies for Ireland's London 2012 Olympic athletes.

Earlier today, Lord Mayor Naoise Ó Muirí and Minister of State for Tourism Michael Ring joined Team Ireland members on a stage erected at the junction of Dawson Street and Molesworth Street, next to the Mansion House.

The poor weather appeared to have impacted the turnout for the reception, with some 2,000 people in attendance, considerably less than the council had provisioned for.

The athletes were interviewed on stage by RTÉ presenter Des Cahill while footage from Ireland's participation in the Games is was shown on a big screen.

The council cancelled an original plan for athletes to travel to the event on an open-top bus because of the weather.