Irish world boxing champion Bernard Dunne has swapped the ring for the inside of a prison in the hope of inspiring inmates.

Dunne, holder of the WBA super-bantamweight title after a nail-biting performance against Panamanian Ricardo Cordoba in March, visited Wheatfield Prison, Clondalkin, after being approached by prison authorities.

"I wouldn't say going into the prison was the most enjoyable experience," Dunne said. "It's just walls and walls everywhere and steel gates. It's not the kind of place I would like to experience but if these guys have committed crimes, they have to go in there and serve their time."

Invited by the prison's education officer, Dunne spoke to about 100 prisoners in Wheatfield, who were either studying or involved in sports courses.

"I was asked to go in order to encourage the prisoners to keep going and to try and stay on the straight and narrow. I didn't think twice about doing it."

Dunne says he was surprised both at how many of the prison's inmates had seen his world-title fight and how informed their questions were during a session which followed his address.

"Talking to the prisoners was a challenge because not having many speakers in, they pay attention to every word you say. First they wanted to know how I got back up after the fifth round in the fight against Cordoba. How I willed myself through it?"

Waterford's hurling team also asked Dunne to give a team talk recently.

"Waterford got badly beaten by Kilkenny in the All Ireland final last year so I sat down with the lads and spoke to them for two hours. I wanted to explain to them how I blocked out what the media said about me after the Martinez fight [when he was badly beaten by Spanish boxer Kiki Martinez]. I told them I never stopped believing I was going to be a world champion".

Judging by Waterford's performance in defeat against Kilkenny in last Sunday's semi-final, his words might have had some effect.