“THE heathers will be blazing in Wexford tonight,” Irish coach Billy Walsh predicted as he embraced fellow county man Adam Nolan, who yesterday became the second man from the Model County to qualify for an Olympic Games — Billy himself having qualified for the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Adam Nolan has become the fifth Irish boxer to qualify for the London Olympics after his semi-final win over Romania’s Ionut Gheorghe in Trabzon, Turkey today.

John Joe Joyce's attempt to secure Olympic qualification ended in disappointment today after he was beaten by experienced Romanian light welterweight Ionut Gheorghe in Pescara, Italy.

KENNETH EGAN, John Joe Nevin and John Joe Joyce can qualify for the Olympics with just one more victory at the European qualifiers in Pescara this afternoon.