Who is the Greatest Irish SportsPerson based on what He/She have Achieved...

OddsOnIB

Myself and my friends have debated this on numerous occasions, would just like to get a neutral perspective on who the Irish Public think is the Greatest Sports person to grace this island....Any Feedback would be greatly appreciated...

kellso81

Katie Taylor, without doubt

irishfeen

kellso81 wrote: »

Katie Taylor, without doubt

Enough said really

thread/

OddsOnIB

So its unanimous Katie Taylor ? Over B.O.D?George Best?Joey Dunlop?Ken Doherty?Ap Mccoy?Padraig Harrington?

Pudsy33

Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and Dan Martin have to be in the mix too.

kellso81

OddsOnIB wrote: »

So its unanimous Katie Taylor ? Over B.O.D?George Best?Joey Dunlop?Ken Doherty?Ap Mccoy?Padraig Harrington?

all been successful in their sports but none of them dominated over such a long period of time as Katie Taylor.

OddsOnIB

Is Dan Martin Irish ?

Pudsy33

OddsOnIB wrote: »

Is Dan Martin Irish ?

Born in Birmingham to Irish parents and represent us so I'm taking him :pac:

OddsOnIB

kellso81 wrote: »

all been successful in their sports but none of them dominated over such a long period of time as Katie Taylor.

Completely Agree...

OddsOnIB

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Born in Birmingham to Irish parents and represent us so I'm taking him :pac:

Ah he's ours so...

OddsOnIB

Could we claim Carl Frampton?Boxed for the Irish team , IBF world Champion.

Pudsy33

OddsOnIB wrote: »

Could we claim Carl Frampton?Boxed for the Irish team , IBF world Champion.

You mentioned Best so by default Frampton qualifies I guess.

walshb

Katie Taylor for longevity and success combined. At the top 10 years now and still improving it seems.

trishasaffron

Michelle Smith?

Tugboats

ROY Keane

AndonHandon

Drico or McIlroy.

Women's boxing isn't popular enough to class Katie as the greatest Irish sportsperson.

The Bould Rabbit

kellso81 wrote: »

all been successful in their sports but none of them dominated over such a long period of time as Katie Taylor.

If that's the criteria needed to be the best then look no further than Tony McCoy.

Nearly 4,300 career wins as a pro and champion jockey now for 19 years on the trot.

berger89

Aidan O'Brien? Not a sportsperson per say, but the man is a Genius.

wreckless if true

I genuinely don't even think katie Taylor should be even mentioned when speaking about best Irish sports person. I know I will be given plenty of abuse for this but I'm entitled to my opinions whether you agree or not.

Reasons being , look at the sport she has dominated, women's boxing, look at the numbers of competitors that take part in this particular sport, very very very low and lower as you age due to liklehood of pregnancy. Taylor was not born with a god given skill (unlike best , Keane, McIlroy) she developed and trained her ass off to be top of her sport and the fact that she happens to take part in a sport which has very low participants makes it incredibly easy for her to reach the very top of it.

Compare this to say a young soccer or rufby or golfer or hurler player, who like Katie Taylor works his/her ass off and has a similar level of talent to their chosen sport . but simply because the numbers that participate in mainstream sports like I mentioned it makes it a hundred times harder to reach the very top like Taylor has done in her niche sport .

Anyone who says Taylor should be considered greatest Irish sports person makes the argument of 'being top of her sport for 10years'..

Could we also say John o Shea (1champs league, 4/5 league titles, 100 intl caps) is greatest Irish sports person of all time with that same argument of being top of their chosen sport for the last 10 years?! I don't think he is by any stretch of the imagination but worth making a point.

To me Rory McIlroy or henry or Brian o Driscoll HAVE to be our greatest Irish sporting greats , all are or were at THE very top of their particular sports for a very long time, Rory will go down in the history books IMO a lot more to come there. But the fact that the sheer numbers that compete in these sports makes it so so incredibly difficult to reach the heights they reached and the longevity of their greatness in such competitive fields should see them be without question regarded as our countries greatest sporting icons .

The_Kew_Tour

If it's on numbers, then that surely rules out Rugby, and Golf to some extent?

Very few countries play Rugby and Golf ain't very Global although its in lot big countries.

Hurling is only played in Ireland too.

The numbers in women boxing ain't as low as some think. Its very popular in USA and Russia for instance. Hardly tiny countries.

I bet she has taken on as many opponents from different countries as BOD has played in International rugby.

She is a high class athlete. You only have to look as the comments the Irish Boxing men's team say about her when they Sparring with her. And before and he says she be murdered by a male fighter what about Tennis etc.

To me she is the greatest. 5 time world champ and Numerous Europeans along with Gold in Olympics. Nobody comes close to that in this Island.

Nunu

Sonia O'Sullivan.
World Class in an extremely competitive and world class field.
Lack of an Olympic Gold shouldn't cloud this but sadly does among the general population.

The Bould Rabbit

berger89 wrote: »

Aidan O'Brien? Not a sportsperson per say, but the man is a Genius.

Not taking anything away from that but having the best of Coolmore's production lines being sent to Ballydoyle helps a lot.

walshb

The Bould Rabbit wrote: »

If that's the criteria needed to be the best then look no further than Tony McCoy.

Nearly 4,300 career wins as a pro and champion jockey now for 19 years on the trot.

And the horses did most of it....

walshb

wreckless if true wrote: »

Reasons being , look at the sport she has dominated, women's boxing, look at the numbers of competitors that take part in this particular sport, very very very low and lower as you age due to liklehood of pregnancy. .

How many take part? How many train and dedicate themselves to do well in the sport? Likelihood of pregnancy? Let us apply that to any physical based female sport then....

Ave Sodalis

walshb wrote: »

And the horses did most of it....

As a horse person, I really really hate this... It's usually solved by sticking a person on a horse and getting them to even just walk... then they usually see the balance and fitness required to do something as simple as that. As for jockeys, they train for years with most of their training on balance and fitness. I've been riding for about ten years and wouldn't be able to win a race if you put me in one. Yeah, the horse does the running, but the jockey tells it how and when to do things. Racing isn't just sticking a heap of horses onto a track and getting them to run as fast as they can. It's a partnership and yeah, the horse does a lot of the running part but that doesn't take away from the work jockeys themselves do. If it was a simple as the horse doing most of the work, why do people like Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh stand out? They're not the only ones to get top horses, yet both of them run winners again and again.

I'm going to go ahead and throw Bertram Allen into the mix. Another equestrian, a showjumper this time and one of the youngest (19) to have successfully competed at international level, beating people who have twenty years more experience than him. Just won the Irish Young Sports Star of the Year. He's 19th in the World Rankings which seems like a lot but given the amount of people in the rankings, and given his age, it's one hell of an achievement, especially considering he's actually highest out of all the Irish riders. Most people his age aren't jumping anywhere near the level he's at.

super_furry

Between O'Driscoll, McIlroy and O'Sullivan for me. As has been mentioned, Taylor is a big fish in a very small pond

blue note

Mcilroy, Sean Kelly and bod for me.

efb

1. McIlroy
2. Harrington
3. Taylor

locum-motion

sup_dude wrote: »

As a horse person, I really really hate this... It's usually solved by sticking a person on a horse and getting them to even just walk... then they usually see the balance and fitness required to do something as simple as that. As for jockeys, they train for years with most of their training on balance and fitness. I've been riding for about ten years and wouldn't be able to win a race if you put me in one. Yeah, the horse does the running, but the jockey tells it how and when to do things. Racing isn't just sticking a heap of horses onto a track and getting them to run as fast as they can. It's a partnership and yeah, the horse does a lot of the running part but that doesn't take away from the work jockeys themselves do. If it was a simple as the horse doing most of the work, why do people like Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh stand out? They're not the only ones to get top horses, yet both of them run winners again and again...

I couldn't agree more.

EICVD

Conor Mcgregor.....

locum-motion

sup_dude wrote: »

...I'm going to go ahead and throw Bertram Allen into the mix. Another equestrian, a showjumper this time and one of the youngest (19) to have successfully competed at international level, beating people who have twenty years more experience than him. Just won the Irish Young Sports Star of the Year. He's 19th in the World Rankings which seems like a lot but given the amount of people in the rankings, and given his age, it's one hell of an achievement, especially considering he's actually highest out of all the Irish riders. Most people his age aren't jumping anywhere near the level he's at.

While Bertram Allen's doing well*, give him a few years more before nominating him as the Greatest Irish Sportsperson. If he builds on the potential he's showing, he might make it eventually. But he's still not even the Greatest Irish Showjumper YET. Stars of yesteryear like Eddie Macken, Paul Darragh, James Kernan, Ned Campion, and newer names like Cian O'Connor**, Jessica Kurten (née Chesney) - to name but a few - probably all have a greater claim to that title.

*: His finish in the jump off at the Horse of the Year Show on Sunday was impressive - he really went for if and posted the fastest time by over a second. Unfortunately he dropped a pole off the 2nd last and finished 7th, behind the 6 slower riders who went clear.
**: Although tainted by a drug scandal 10 years ago, he has come back well to win a medal in London 2012.

Pudsy33

EICVD wrote: »

Conor Mcgregor.....

Has achieved practically nothing. I'm a big fan of his, he got me watching the ufc which I enjoy, but until he wins a title he's way out of this discussion.

mick121

roy keane
liam brady
what about eamon coughlan who dominated the boards for years.

Ave Sodalis

locum-motion wrote: »

While Bertram Allen's doing well*, give him a few years more before nominating him as the Greatest Irish Sportsperson. If he builds on the potential he's showing, he might make it eventually. But he's still not even the Greatest Irish Showjumper YET. Stars of yesteryear like Eddie Macken, Paul Darragh, James Kernan, Ned Campion, and newer names like Cian O'Connor**, Jessica Kurten (née Chesney) - to name but a few - probably all have a greater claim to that title.

*: His finish in the jump off at the Horse of the Year Show on Sunday was impressive - he really went for if and posted the fastest time by over a second. Unfortunately he dropped a pole off the 2nd last and finished 7th, behind the 6 slower riders who went clear.
**: Although tainted by a drug scandal 10 years ago, he has come back well to win a medal in London 2012.

A few years, if he keeps it up, definitely. They might have a greater claim yeah, but they're still below him in the World Rankings. Jessica Kurten has retired from jumping too. At the minute, although he hasn't won everything, he is winning an awful lot and if you compare this last year, he's doing as well as if not better than the rest. He's definitely worth considering, especially if you take his age into account.

About the drug scandal though, while we're here, I've already posted on AH about this but that wasn't entirely as bad as it seemed (by the way, I'm not a fan of CoC, I actually find him quite annoying and he isn't half as good as he thinks he is). They were very very strict that year with drug testing. He wasn't the only rider pulled and in ordinary circumstances, it wouldn't have even made a difference.

The Lost Sheep

McIlroy, ODriscoll, Sonia, Roy Keane, Katie all there or there abouts

wreckless if true wrote: »

I genuinely don't even think katie Taylor should be even mentioned when speaking about best Irish sports person. I know I will be given plenty of abuse for this but I'm entitled to my opinions whether you agree or not.

Reasons being, look at the sport she has dominated, women's boxing, look at the numbers of competitors that take part in this particular sport, very very very low and lower as you age due to liklehood of pregnancy. Taylor was not born with a god given skill (unlike best, Keane, McIlroy) she developed and trained her ass off to be top of her sport and the fact that she happens to take part in a sport which has very low participants makes it incredibly easy for her to reach the very top of it.

Compare this to say a young soccer or rufby or golfer or hurler player, who like Katie Taylor works his/her ass off and has a similar level of talent to their chosen sport. but simply because the numbers that participate in mainstream sports like I mentioned it makes it a hundred times harder to reach the very top like Taylor has done in her niche sport.

Anyone who says Taylor should be considered greatest Irish sports person makes the argument of 'being top of her sport for 10years'..

Could we also say John o Shea (1champs league, 4/5 league titles, 100 intl caps) is greatest Irish sports person of all time with that same argument of being top of their chosen sport for the last 10 years?! I don't think he is by any stretch of the imagination but worth making a point.

To me Rory McIlroy or henry or Brian o Driscoll HAVE to be our greatest Irish sporting greats , all are or were at THE very top of their particular sports for a very long time, Rory will go down in the history books IMO a lot more to come there. But the fact that the sheer numbers that compete in these sports makes it so so incredibly difficult to reach the heights they reached and the longevity of their greatness in such competitive fields should see them be without question regarded as our countries greatest sporting icons .

That the numbers aren't huge isn't a reason to dismiss her. She has been at the very top of her sport and totally dominated. Rarely losing and winning so many titles.
To say she was not born with a god given skill is unfair. All of the others you mentioned had to be developed and train there ass off to get to where they did.
Could you honestly say John O Shea is at the very top of the game in Soccer?

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

If it's on numbers, then that surely rules out Rugby, and Golf to some extent?

Very few countries play Rugby and Golf ain't very Global although its in lot big countries.

Hurling is only played in Ireland too.

The numbers in women boxing ain't as low as some think. Its very popular in USA and Russia for instance. Hardly tiny countries.

I bet she has taken on as many opponents from different countries as BOD has played in International rugby.

She is a high class athlete. You only have to look as the comments the Irish Boxing men's team say about her when they Sparring with her. And before and he says she be murdered by a male fighter what about Tennis etc.

To me she is the greatest. 5 time world champ and Numerous Europeans along with Gold in Olympics. Nobody comes close to that in this Island.

More than a few countries play rugby and that's at the top level as well. An individual athlete will nearly always have taken on more opponents from more countries than a team.

blue note

I'm shocked at the lack of respect for Sean Kelly! He was world number 1 for 6 years in a highly competitive sport. People don't seem to realise what a legend he is!

walshb

sup_dude wrote: »

As a horse person, I really really hate this... It's usually solved by sticking a person on a horse and getting them to even just walk... then they usually see the balance and fitness required to do something as simple as that. As for jockeys, they train for years with most of their training on balance and fitness. I've been riding for about ten years and wouldn't be able to win a race if you put me in one. Yeah, the horse does the running, but the jockey tells it how and when to do things. Racing isn't just sticking a heap of horses onto a track and getting them to run as fast as they can. It's a partnership and yeah, the horse does a lot of the running part but that doesn't take away from the work jockeys themselves do. If it was a simple as the horse doing most of the work, why do people like Tony McCoy and Ruby Walsh stand out? They're not the only ones to get top horses, yet both of them run winners again and again.

My post was more in jest. I should have added a smiley. Huge huge respect for the skills of jockeys. They are unreal. To direct and control such a powerful and big animal at the speeds that they do is remarkable. The jump jockeys talents and skills are superb. Flat jockeys are also great, but there is that added bit of madness and courage and intensity with the jump jockeys.

Saipanne

Michelle Smith. Three Olympic golds. A record she holds to this day.

Heroine.

walshb

Saipanne wrote: »

Michelle Smith. Three Olympic golds. A record she holds to this day.

Heroine.

Had she not been sanctioned for a doping offenece then yes, definitely in the mix. That Atlanta result was the GOAT as regards an Olympic result for an Irish person. If she was on PEDs then they were really god ones. Her improvements and times through the early to mid '90s were very impressive. Still off WR pace in all three events in Atlanta. What does that say about those records?

Saipanne

walshb wrote: »

Had she not been sanctioned for a doping offenece then yes, definitely in the mix. That Atlanta result was the GOAT as regards an Olympic result for an Irish person. If she was on PEDs then they were really god ones. Her improvements and times through the early to mid 90s were very impressive. Still of WR pace in all three events in Atlanta. What does that say about those records?

She still has the medals, the last time I checked?

walshb

Saipanne wrote: »

She still has the medals, the last time I checked?

That's right, she does.

Saipanne

walshb wrote: »

That's right, she does.

A true sporting heroine.

walshb

Saipanne wrote: »

A true sporting heroine.

I gave her the benefit of the doubt initially, but after reading up on it and being a bit more objective, I believe that she was on something to bring about those results and improvements. Her doping offence is not for having PEDs in her system, but it is still an offence that would lead most people to believe that she was concealing PEDs in her system. Still a fantastic swimmer whether she was or was not on PEDs.

titan18

Any answer that's not Sean Kelly is wrong. The guy is regarded as one of the best cyclists ever

Winner of multiple one day races, Monuments, points jerseys in GCs, and even the GC itself in the Vuelta. He had multiple top 10s in the Tour whilst also competing and winning races like Paris Roubaix, LBL etc

Ave Sodalis

walshb wrote: »

My post was more in jest. I should have added a smiley. Huge huge respect for the skills of jockeys. They are unreal. To direct and control such a powerful and big animal at the speeds that they do is remarkable. The jump jockeys talents and skills are superb. Flat jockeys are also great, but there is that added bit of madness and courage and intensity with the jump jockeys.

Sorry, there's just so many people out there who truly believe the horse does all the work in equestrian sports. If I had a cent for every time someone has told me what you said in earnest, I'd be filthy rich

Saipanne

titan18 wrote: »

Any answer that's not Sean Kelly is wrong. The guy is regarded as one of the best cyclists ever

Winner of multiple one day races, Monuments, points jerseys in GCs, and even the GC itself in the Vuelta. He had multiple top 10s in the Tour whilst also competing and winning races like Paris Roubaix, LBL etc

You're right, but no one cares about cycling.

themink

If dominance over an extended period is the only criteria then Paul Brady (handball) surely worth a mention at least. Has won everything going: 10 all ireland titles (incl 9 in a row!), 4 world titles, 9 US nationals...

But as others have mentioned, i think the popularity of the sport has to be considered for this. Its probably Drico for me

titan18

Saipanne wrote: »

You're right, but no one cares about cycling.

And people care about swimming or women's boxing?

If we're only going to choose sports that most people care about, we're really reducing the candidates

Saipanne

titan18 wrote: »

And people care about swimming or women's boxing?

If we're only going to choose sports that most people care about, we're really reducing the candidates

I would argue that watching swimming and boxing is far more engrossing than watching cycling. It's just really dull, to me.

Cienciano

OddsOnIB wrote: »

So its unanimous Katie Taylor ? Over B.O.D?George Best?Joey Dunlop?Ken Doherty?Ap Mccoy?Padraig Harrington?

kellso81 wrote: »

all been successful in their sports but none of them dominated over such a long period of time as Katie Taylor.

Hold on, AP McCoy and Joey Dunlop completely dominated their sport for years! McCoy was already mentioned but Joey Dunlops first TT win was in 1977, his last in 2000. He would have won more too.

deadybai

Depends how you define Greatest. Michael Jordan is widely considered the Greatest basketball player of all time. What did he have? Skill and ability? Yes. Consistency? Yes. Longevity? Yes. Trophies? Yes.
Going on that basis, you need to tick all those boxes.

For me Brian O'Driscoll is slightly overrated as a player. Only winning the Six Nations twice is a drawback for his contention. Should have won at least 2 more.
Katie Taylor needs to turn pro to and prove her greatness. Shame if she retires and it never happens. Surely all the best in the sport are pros.

In my opinion it has to be Henry Shefflin or Brian Cody. To win 10 AL medals in 15 years is just unbelievable.