Irish boxer Paddy Barnes is claiming to be a history maker as he sets the London Olympics alight.

Barnes, already trending on Twitter after appealing for sponsorship during the opening ceremony, tweeted from the ring after winning his opening bout on Saturday.

He claimed to be the first boxers to tweet news of a victory from inside the Olympic ring after an emphatic win over Cameroon’s Thomas Essomba.

The 25-year-old from Belfast told his 8,000 followers: “Job done from the Olympic ring. Paddy Barnes — bringing you closer to the action.”

He later claimed: “Think I’m the first boxer to tweet from inside the ring.”

Barnes has also confirmed that he is competing with team-mate Michael Conlan to get as many photos and autographs as possible from celebrity sports stars in the Olympic village.

He joked: “It’s been desperate getting chased round the Village by all these famous athletes wanting autographs and pictures.

“But I have to stand there and give it to them all - because I don’t want to be ignorant.”

The Irish Sun reports that when pressed for the identity of the most famous athlete who had asked for his autograph, Barnes replied: “Probably Usain Bolt.”

Boxing was again the good news story for Ireland on Saturday as Joanne Cuddihy’s bid for 400 metre glory came to an end on the track in the semi-finals of her event and Rob Heffernan finished ninth in the 20k walk.

Young Dubliner Annalise Murphy continues to make waves in sailing’s Laser Radial Class and is now third overall.