The Irish postal service An Post has released a series of stamps featuring some of the country's top female sports stars to mark International Women's Day ©An Post

Ireland’s official postal service An Post has unveiled a booklet of six stamps celebrating some of the country’s leading sportswomen, including Olympic boxing gold medallists Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington.

They are part of Ireland’s "Decade of Centenary" commemorations, depicting the country's history and culture over the past 100 years, and have been released today to mark International Women’s Day.

Taylor made history at London 2012 when she won a lightweight gold medal at London 2012 before beginning a successful professional career.

She is a two-weight world champion, the current undisputed lightweight champion and is ranked as the best active female, pound-for-pound, by The Ring.

Harrington followed in Taylor’s footsteps at the re-arranged Olympic Games in Tokyo last year when she won the gold medal in the lightweight division.

Besides Taylor and Harrington, the stamps feature Sonia O’Sullivan, the 1995 World Athletics Championships 5,000 metres gold medallist and 1996 Olympic silver medallist, and swimmer Ellen Keane, winner of a Paralympic Games gold medal in the SB8 100 metres breaststroke at Tokyo 2020.

The Irish women’s hockey team, the World Cup runners up in 2018, are also included on the set of stamps, along with Rachael Blackmore, who last year became the first female jockey to win the Grand National in the United Kingdom in the 182-year history of the race.

"It is only right and proper that we celebrate the success of Irish women in sport and what better time to do it than to mark International Women’s Day," Ireland’s Junior Minister Hildegarde Naughton said.

"I for one have the utmost respect for the Irish women in sport who are key role models to young girls - the length and breadth of the country.

"They demonstrate how strength, resilience and determination can pay off when you, or your team, set a goal and strive to achieve it.

"We have a lot to be proud of in Ireland when it comes to our female athletes. They have led the way for women in sport on the global stage."

Designed by Dublin studio Unthink, each athletes' name appears in large font, behind a powerful sporting moment, captured by sports photojournalists Inpho and Sportsfile and for Getty Images.

The An Post stamp booklet and First Day Cover envelope are now available in all post offices and online by clicking here.