Ireland’s five medals cost taxpayers €6m each

Each medal won at the London Olympics came with a €6m taxpayer price tag — with a further €6.5m going toward training people who failed to qualify.

However, despite the high cost, two thirds of all athletes have received less than €80,000 in targeted financial help since Beijing, suggesting costs are being spread too thinly to make an impact at the top level.

Figures supplied to the Irish Examiner by the Irish Sports Council show that despite our world-class boxers, one of the most successful Olympics in Irish history has still come at a high financial cost.