Who is/was Ireland's most famous sports star?

dundalkfc10

Mad_maxx wrote: »

weemcd wrote: »

The answer is, in this order:

McGregor
George Best
Roy Keane
McIlroy

There isn't a fith. It was probably a dead heat between Best and Keane for a time but McGregor is light years ahead now.

George Best didn't identify as Irish ( not meant as a criticism of the great man)

McIlroy likes to hedge his bets, being the corporate robot that he is

George Best was a wife beating scumbag

EmmetSpiceland

janfebmar wrote: »

Our rugby team represents the island of Ireland. Most of the players grew up in the Republic of Ireland, were educated by the Irish taxpayer, pay their taxes in the Republic etc.

McIllroy can choose his own identity, people from N. Ireland have that choice.

They still play under a flag representing the whole island. In fact, the sooner they take down the tricolour and Ulster flag and stop playing the soccer anthem at home games the better.

He should play under a flag that covers the whole island to avoid the nonsense.

Pissartist

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

George Best was a wife beating scumbag

Yes Alex Higgins too

janfebmar

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

He should play under a flag that covers the whole island to avoid the nonsense.

What nonsense? McIllroy himself said 'I've always felt more British than Irish'. Does'nt his passport than he chose (and he had a choice) say "The UK of Gt. Britain and Northern Ireland"? He seems happy enough and lives a clean life, no scandals?

feargale

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Hey does anyone remember when American football star Flash Gordon saved the planet from the cruel Ming the Merciless??? :rolleyes:

Was that the MEP? I didn't know he was good with the penalty kick.

feargale

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Fictional characters don't count. Do you also consider Roy of the Rovers to be England's most famous sports star? Or World Cup winner Hotshot Hamish for Scotland? :D:D

LollipopJimmy

I was at the event on Friday when McGregor turned up, the chap was hounded and spent a good hour and a bit having his photo taken. He eventually left with crowds running after him, it was insane and I've never seen the likes before

Pherekydes

Well, have any conclusions been arrived at?

Has John M. Lynch been mentioned?

Thought he'd at least get a mention...

Tombo2001

salmocab wrote: »

Well no most sports are played in pockets and no very few are truly global, boxing, soccer, athletics probably one or two others. Then there are plenty that are played in lots of countries but generally in very small numbers. I’m not knocking cricket to be clear I like it and have been to matches. The poster said it was played in all corners of the globe which it isn’t. I don’t see that saying cricket isn’t played to a high level globally is a big deal tbh and I doubt many cricket fans think it is.

None of those are truly global.

salmocab

Tombo2001 wrote: »

None of those are truly global.

Well soccer surely is as close to a true global game as we’re likely to get. It doesn’t mean much though Mc Donald’s is as close to a true global restaurant as we’ll get but it doesn’t make it better than supermacs just more successful.

DavyD_83

DavyD_83 wrote: »

I genuinely don't know who Eoin Morgan is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmtlc0L48EQ

irelandrover

partyguinness wrote: »

Eoin Morgan could have stayed playing cricket for Ireland and with the hope and expectation that they would progress to Test cricket but he said 'No- I'll just jump across and play for England. Easier option'

Fine good luck to him.

Likewise with my Giggs analogy. 'Do I want to play at the WC and EC? Yes of course every footballer does. Won't happen with Wales so I'll just throw in my oar with England.'

But no Giggs for example said I will play for my country and the love of my country.

Shame Eoin Morgan is not built with similar moral fibre.

It's the exact same logic with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish in recent times and declaring for England. They are backing the better horse with their heads. Fine.

Giggs was never eligible to play for England.

Mcgregor is probably known in more countries in the world but Morgan is probably known by more people in my opinion.

partyguinness

partyguinness wrote: »

Eoin Morgan could have stayed playing cricket for Ireland and with the hope and expectation that they would progress to Test cricket but he said 'No- I'll just jump across and play for England. Easier option'

Fine good luck to him.

Likewise with my Giggs analogy. 'Do I want to play at the WC and EC? Yes of course every footballer does. Won't happen with Wales so I'll just throw in my oar with England.'

But no Giggs for example said I will play for my country and the love of my country.

Shame Eoin Morgan is not built with similar moral fibre.

It's the exact same logic with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish in recent times and declaring for England. They are backing the better horse with their heads. Fine.

With cricket, a lot of people play more for the love of the game than they do for the rewards. Yes, if they excel and can play in any of the T20 super leagues, then there is good money in it, but I don't think Morgan is built like that.

What he has done with English Cricket (which is more of a UK team than it is an England team) is far more than he could have done with Ireland, not just personally either. He is one of, of not the biggest factor in making England the highest ranked ODI team at the moment and favourites for this years world cup.

I can't think of any sport where a captain is such a key part of the team both on and off the field. They play a key role in picking the team, the squad and helping with the development of players. Their tactics during a game are often the difference between defeat and victory.

I'm sure he would much rather have done this with Ireland, but even though Cricket Ireland is developing well, it still isn't anywhere near the level cricket is in England and he simply would not have been able to be as influential as he has been with England.

tl:dr version, in my opinion, Morgan's reasons for switching to england are far more professional than they are personal

salmocab

irelandrover wrote: »

Giggs was never eligible to play for England.

Mcgregor is probably known in more countries in the world but Morgan is probably known by more people in my opinion.

Pretty sure Giggs played for English school boys and lived there since he was a kid

TomasMacR

salmocab wrote: »

Pretty sure Giggs played for English school boys and lived there since he was a kid

yeah he did but....

Giggs represented Wales at international level. As a youngster, Giggs captained England Schoolboys, but contrary to popular belief, he was never eligible for the full England team (eligibility at the schoolboy level depends solely upon the location of the school, in Giggs' case Moorside High School in Salford).[115] In October 2009, new rules were introduced for the Home Nations' associations that would have enabled Giggs to represent England had he not already represented Wales in an official competition,[116] but Giggs has always maintained that he would have chosen to play for Wales anyway; he stated in 2002, "I'd rather go through my career without qualifying for a major championship than play for a country where I wasn't born or which my parents didn't have anything to do with"

Giggs was still able to make a lot of money playing for utd.

To have any chance of being secure financially Morgan had to go for England really.

Not comparable situations.

jmayo

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Nobody watches rugby in the 90s apart from a few diehards, Poshos from Dublin, and people in Limerick.

Fook all people used to go to the old provincial matches, the All Ireland league was big in the 90s.
Great watching Limerick clubs sticking to the pompous ar**es from Dublin in particular or the nordies.

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Parts of Cork and North Kerry as well, Woke.

Is Castleisland in North Kerry ?

megadodge wrote: »

Ah here, get a grip. Ever hear of Federer, Nadal, Bolt, Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather, Le Bron James, etc. etc.

The problem people have on here is this - America is NOT the world!! (Even though Americans think it is).

McGregor is massive in the States. Also obviously in Ireland. Quite big in the UK and maybe well known in Brazil because it's an MMA powerbase.
...

Somebody earlier listed all the US shows that mcgregor has been on as an example of his standing worldwide.
There are more people in a small chunk of China or Indian than in US.

Soccer has probably the greatest reach worldwide, then probably top blue ribbon events in athletics like 100m, then possibly something like world heavy weight boxing.
Although all the different belts has meant it has probably diluted the title somewhat.

Deebles McBeebles

Lads, its Sonia O'Sullivan's daughter.

rafatoni

janfebmar wrote: »

McIllroy said 'I've always felt more British than Irish'. That is his right, he has the right to identify himself as he wishes.

and good luck to him, he identifies as British that his business, we can remove him for the list then.

back to our most famous star looking like an extra from the walking dead outside the marble Arch on saturday

Marcus Rashford

In today’s Irish Times, Brian O’Connor makes the pretty valid point that if Rory McIlroy completes the career Grand Slam this week, it’s the greatest achievement in the history of Irish sport.

Deebles McBeebles

Marcus Rashford wrote: »

In today’s Irish Times, Brian O’Connor makes the pretty valid point that if Rory McIlroy completes the career Grand Slam this week, it’s the greatest achievement in the history of Irish sport.

Might be worth sticking a few quid on too, given he looks in good form.

Marcus Rashford

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

Marcus Rashford wrote: »

In today’s Irish Times, Brian O’Connor makes the pretty valid point that if Rory McIlroy completes the career Grand Slam this week, it’s the greatest achievement in the history of Irish sport.

Might be worth sticking a few quid on too, given he looks in good form.

Very tight price, but I hear you.

Deebles McBeebles

Marcus Rashford wrote: »

Very tight price, but I hear you.

Right you are, I didn't realise he was the favourite among bookies on this side of the Atlantic.

Pherekydes

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

Lads, its Sonia O'Sullivan's daughter.

What did Ciara ever achieve, sports wise?

Fitz*

irelandrover wrote: »

Giggs was never eligible to play for England.

Mcgregor is probably known in more countries in the world but Morgan is probably known by more people in my opinion.

There is no way at all that more people know who Eoin Morgan is. I remember him in that game against England in the cricket when he scored all those runs, but mainly because it was during RAG week! But then the media attention quickly fell away as he was playing a sport that about 7 countries in the world care about. There was a bit more attention again when he switched allegiances but that was it.

The Joe Soap on the street will have no clue who Eoin Morgan is but ask a sports person in Ireland to name 'an Irish cricket player' and they might just answer him, at most.

Every household in Ireland knows who Conor McGregor is and what he competes in (although admittedly a lot of the older generation will blindly call it boxing or wrestling).

Conor McGregor is Ireland's most famous sports star, hands down. He might not be the most deserving in some people's eyes, but he is definitely the most famous.

Deebles McBeebles

Pherekydes wrote: »

What did Ciara ever achieve, sports wise?

Sports wise, no idea but she invented the sarcasm detector.

irelandrover

FitzShane wrote: »

There is no way at all that more people know who Eoin Morgan is. I remember him in that game against England in the cricket when he scored all those runs, but mainly because it was during RAG week! But then the media attention quickly fell away as he was playing a sport that about 7 countries in the world care about. There was a bit more attention again when he switched allegiances but that was it.

The Joe Soap on the street will have no clue who Eoin Morgan is but ask a sports person in Ireland to name 'an Irish cricket player' and they might just answer him, at most.

Every household in Ireland knows who Conor McGregor is and what he competes in (although admittedly a lot of the older generation will blindly call it boxing or wrestling).

Conor McGregor is Ireland's most famous sports star, hands down. He might not be the most deserving in some people's eyes, but he is definitely the most famous.

The Joe Soap on street of Ireland does not know who Eoin Morgan is. The Joe Soap on the street of India/Pakistan do.

Fitz*

irelandrover wrote: »

The Joe Soap on street of Ireland does not know who Eoin Morgan is. The Joe Soap on the street of India/Pakistan do.

And they probably assume he is English.

FitzShane

FitzShane wrote: »

And they probably assume he is English.

I would be very surprised if any serious cricket fans think he is English. Certainly the Indians I work with usually mention his name when you say you live in Dublin. Pretty much every interview or article about him mentions this as well

CricInfo is the go to site for most cricket fans word wide, you can read his profile there.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/24598.html

TomasMacR

irelandrover wrote: »

The Joe Soap on street of Ireland does not know who Eoin Morgan is. The Joe Soap on the street of India/Pakistan do.

This argument is getting tiresome. ‘The population is massive and they play cricket there so they definitely know who Eoin Morgan is’. I’m just as entitled to say your average Indian or Pakistani couldn’t even name a player from their own home team. Who knows how well known he is, it’s pure speculation. He’s not a single decent endorsement/advertising contract from what I’ve just looked up. A cringeworthy ‘Captain Morgan’ Rum ambassador...humiliating stuff which can’t be worth much. That’s a fairly good indicator of who is well known, if he had these millions of Asians that everyone is claiming they know who he is he’d be all over billboards and TV branding products that didn’t make look like even more of sell out tosser. ‘captain morgan’ f*ck sake.