Liberties Press are delighted to announce that Barry Flynn's Bernard Dunne: The Ecstasy and the Agony - the first biography of the Irish former WBA Super Bantamweight World Champion - has reached the Long List for the Williamhill.com Irish Sports Book of the Year. The full list can be accesssed here and Bernard Dunne: The Ecstasy and the Agony can be purchased here. Read more about Barry Flynn and his long association with Irish Boxing here.

Liberties Press are delighted to announce the publication of the first biography of former Irish Boxing World Champion Bernard Dunne. Barry Flynn, award winning sports writer and author of Legends of Irish Boxing, records the highs and lows of Dunne’s career, the ecstasy of his win over Cordoba and the agony of his devastating defeat this September. The story of this celebrated sportsman shows just how much of a fighter he really is, and how he will always be a champion in the eyes of his Irish fans.

About the Book: In 2009 Bernard Dunne reached the pinnacle of his sporting career by becoming the WBA Super Bantamweight World Champion. This victory was all the more sweet considering he had been written off by many following a shock defeat in 2007. Dunne began his professional boxing career in 2001 in the United States, leaving Ireland with 13 Irish amateur titles under his belt. In the US, and under the renowned, international boxing coach Freddie Roach, he won his first 14 fights. Working with manager Brian Peters, the Dunne camp successfully secured a deal for his fights to be broadcast live on national television – the first deal of its kind for an Irish boxer. In 2006 Dunne won the European Super Bantamweight title and defended it several times until he suffered a crushing 1^st round defeat by Kiko Martinez in front of a packed Point Depot crowd. Many believed he would never recover from such a catastrophic blow but, true to his word, Dunne came back. After working hard, he eventually took on WBA Super Bantamweight World Champion Ricardo Cordoba and won a thrilling fight in the 11^th round – the same day as the Irish Rugby team won the Grand Slam. His reign lasted six months before he lost his belt to Thai boxer Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym. Is this the end of the road for Ireland’s champ? Hardly. Dunne has already proved his ability to come back bigger and better than before. He is, after all, a legend in the making.

About the Author: Barry Flynn is from Belfast and has been writing on boxing for over a decade. He has worked as a broadcaster for BBC Radio Ulster, RTÉ, Newstalk and INN in Dublin. He is a regular contributor to print media north and south and his book Legends of Irish Boxing was published to great critical and commercial success in 2007.