At club level he played with St Grellan's and Milltown, while he was also a member of the Galway senior teams as a dual player.
On the inter-county scene, Dunne first play for Galway as a member of the minor team that won the Connacht MFC title in 1959.
He also made four successive All-Ireland final appearances at this time, on a team managed by his father, with victories in 1964, 1965 and 1966.
He won further Connacht SFC medals in 1968 and 1970, while he also lined out with the Galway senior hurling team in the Munster SHC.
[3] Dunne began his coaching career at club level when St Grellan's won back-to-back Galway SFC titles in 1979 and 1980.