Former champ Dunne bows out with pride intact

BERNARD DUNNE woke up this morning with a weight off his shoulders and more time on his well-worn hands.

The former WBA Super Bantamweight world champion last night hung up his gloves at the age of 30, calling time on the sport he took up as a five-year-old and eventually made him a national icon.

Five years to the day when he marked his return to Ireland from the US by defeating Jim Betts at the National Stadium in Dublin, the Neilstown native is now looking forward to a new life in broadcasting, youth outreach, a book and coaching.