Bernard Dunne opens up on his wife being diagnosed with ‘aggressive cancer'

Sunday World

a day ago

'I don't think there's a family in the country, possibly in the world, that has not been impacted by the dreaded C-word.'
Irish boxing legend Bernard Dunne has revealed his wife Pamela was diagnosed with an 'aggressive' form of cancer following the Tokyo Olympics.
The former world champion had been in the Japanese capital as part of his former role as the Irish Amateur Boxing Association's (IABA) high performance director.
And while it was a successful Olympic Games for the Irish boxers – with Kellie Harrington becoming the ninth Irishperson to win a gold medal – Dunne was met with difficult news upon his return to Ireland.
After the Games was done and dusted, he returned home to discover his wife Pamela was facing a difficult battle with cancer.
Bernard Dunne and his wife Pamela. Photo: Sportsfile
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The Dubliner has opened up on that difficult journey but was glad to reveal that Pamela is doing 'fabulous now' after overcoming the initial diagnosis.
Speaking ahead of the annual Hurling for Cancer charity match, he said: 'I don't think there's a family in the country, possibly in the world, that has not been impacted by the dreaded C-word.
"We've had it in my family with my wife. I found out the day I came home from the Olympic Games. It was aggressive but thankfully she is fabulous now and we enjoy and appreciate every day.
"We need to face everything in life with positivity and the right mindset and that is what this event is all about.'
Bernard Dunne gets a kiss from his wife Pamela. Photo: Sportsfile
The couple have been married since 2004 and share two children together, daughter Caoimhe and son Finn.
The 45-year-old hung up his gloves in 2010 but enjoyed a hugely successful professional career that saw him win 28 of his 30 bouts as well as claim the WBA Super Bantemweight title in 2009.
Following his retirement, Dunne headed up the high-performance unit within the IABA before departing from the role in the summer of 2022.
He then went on to serve a similar role with the Boxing Federation of India but resigned from the position prior to the Paris Olympics in 2024.
The annual Hurling for Cancer fundraiser is set to take place on Monday, August 18 and will feature a slew of big names taking a crack of the ash at Cullen Park in Carlow.
The likes of TJ Reid, Danny Mullins, Rachael Blackmore, and Ursula Jacob are all set to be involved.
The initiative has been going since 2011 and the event has helped raise almost €1.7 million towards funding over 100 cancer researchers across Ireland.