Taylor farewell fight drives record eir data at Croke Park

eir said Katie Taylor's farewell fight at Croke Park generated the highest mobile data usage it has recorded at a major event at the stadium. The telecoms group also said the broadcast drew an 89% viewing share among eir TV customers who were watching television at the time.

The record was set as Taylor beat previously unbeaten French boxer Flora Pili by unanimous decision in front of more than 80,000 spectators, ending her professional career as undisputed super-lightweight world champion. Fans at the venue were streaming and sharing throughout the night, pushing traffic above the previous Croke Park benchmark set during the 2025 NFL game.

The figures offer a snapshot of how major sporting events now drive simultaneous demand on mobile and television networks. For telecoms operators, such occasions have become a visible test of network performance as audiences post clips, send messages and watch coverage across several screens at once.

eir linked the Croke Park milestone to heavy summer traffic elsewhere on its network. At Electric Picnic 2026, mobile data traffic rose 22% from the 2025 festival and reached the highest level eir has recorded at the event.

Usage at the festival has climbed sharply over a longer period. Since 2022, mobile data traffic at Electric Picnic has increased by 800%, reflecting heavier smartphone use for live video, social media and messaging during large outdoor gatherings.

eir added that 41% of data traffic on its mobile network at Electric Picnic was carried over 5G. That points to broader adoption of newer mobile connections as 5G-enabled handsets become more common.

Network demand

Large venues and festivals have become important showcases for operators because they concentrate tens of thousands of users in a small area for several hours. That creates intense demand for bandwidth and makes reliability a commercial as well as technical issue, particularly when customers expect to upload video, make video calls and switch between apps without delay.

eir said continued investment in network reach, capacity and resilience underpins its ability to handle such spikes in demand. It also pointed to recognition from Opensignal in 2026, which ranked it Ireland's No. 1 network for both 5G Coverage Experience and 5G Availability based on real-world mobile use.

The company serves about two million customers across fixed-line and mobile services in Ireland. Its consumer mobile business includes the eir Mobile and GoMo brands, while open eir operates in the wholesale market.

Oliver Loomes, Chief Executive Officer of eir, described the event as a defining national moment for audiences inside and outside the stadium.

“Katie Taylor's farewell fight at Croke Park was an extraordinary moment for Irish sport and a fitting celebration of one of Ireland's greatest champions. People came together in the stadium and across the country to witness history, generating the highest mobile data usage we have recorded at a major Croke Park event.

“The scale of demand, together with an 89% viewing share among eir TV customers watching television during the broadcast, shows how major national moments are now experienced and shared across multiple screens. Our mobile and TV networks performed strongly throughout the night, enabling customers to stream, share and stay connected when it mattered most.

“Following record demand at Electric Picnic, Saturday night was another powerful demonstration of the capacity and resilience of our network, and of the work our teams do behind the scenes to keep Ireland connected.”

The Croke Park figure was the highest among the major events included in eir's analysis at the stadium. The previous benchmark came from the NFL game held there in 2025.

The television measure cited by eir refers to the share of active viewing among customers who were already watching television during the broadcast, rather than the share of its full TV customer base. Even so, the figure suggests the fight dominated viewing among those tuned in on the night.

Taylor's send-off produced a network record as well as a sporting one, with traffic levels at Croke Park overtaking the mark set by American football and extending a summer of heavy mobile use at Ireland's largest live events.