Bernard Dunne backs Ireland to win medals in Rio

Not quite a pot of golds but medals await team Ireland at the end of the Road to Rio according to Bernard Dunne.

The former World champion, whose father represented Ireland Ireland in the 1976 Olympics, believes Ireland’s boxers will bank a couple of medals.

Boxing has proved Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport and in recent times has really delivered precious metals. Kenneth Egan, Paddy Barnes and Darren Sutherland all won medal’s in 2008, while Katie Taylor, John Joe Nevin, Barnes again and Katie Taylor all reached the 2012 podium.

The qualification process has still to be completed with only Barnes, Conlan, Joe Ward and Stephen Donnelly have secured seats on the plane to Rio and the likes of Micheal O’Reilly, Katie Taylor and others will be hopeful of following suit.

Dunne believes such a team and such talent will ensure more Olympic success for Ireland.

“Joe Ward, Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlan, Katie Taylor and the list really could go on and on,” he said earlier in the week.

“When you can count them as team members of your national team and guys that are going to go out and compete on an Olympic stage, you know you are going to be in with a chance.

“You have a realistic chance of taking some serious medals home. I don’t reckon, I’d be quite positive about our chances. I’d definitely say we’ll have a a couple in the back pocket.”