Why is there ever a debate about who was the best Irish Sports person ever? *READ OP*

sxt

It is Roy Keane

There is no other Irish person close. Who ever is second, is a distant second

He is the most influential sports person in Irish sporting History, and in British football history, and one of the most influential in World soccer history

19 major titles

An inspirational force of nature with the guile, skill and will to win at all costs, he almost demanded it, and he inspired his team to do it. One of a very select few Irish sports persons to excel in the heat of battle.

He literally dragged Man utd to their first Champions league win. Putting in an inspirational performance against Juventus in the the semi finals when they were looking at certain defeat against. Diego Maradona was left slack jawed at the dominance of the performance

This is a player that would have been the first pick on any team or country in the world.

This is a guy who played in the biggest and most competitive sport on the planet

His legend will live on for centuries

Mod:

partyguinness and Randy Archer do not post in this thread again.

Constant back and forth bickering cleaned up. Anymore of this nonsense will result in further thread bans and/or other sanctions

No, he’s neither.

Katie Taylor could go the distance.

sxt

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

No, he’s neither.

Can you name an Irish sports star that would compare?

Michelle Smith de Bruin

italodisco

I hate to say it, as I can't stand him, but conor mcgregor would certainly be up there on the list

Collie D

Keane doesn’t even have as many Olympic medals as Jack B. Yeats.

italodisco

italodisco wrote: »

I hate to say it, as I can't stand him, but conor mcgregor would certainly be up there on the list

Couldn't think of a worse ambassador, McGregor is a feral knackbag.

Doctors room ghost

Ap McCoy

Doctors room ghost

italodisco wrote: »

I hate to say it, as I can't stand him, but conor mcgregor would certainly be up there on the list

Not a fcukin chance

sxt

italodisco wrote: »

I hate to say it, as I can't stand him, but conor mcgregor would certainly be up there on the list

In regards to the amount of people who play football vs the people who practise MMA World wide, I don't think he can be

feargale

James Cecil Parke

Edgware

Collie D wrote: »

Keane doesn’t even have as many Olympic medals as Jack B. Yeats.

Or Nobel prize

ratracer

Seán Kelly!

jaykay74

George Best

joe40

sxt wrote: »

Roy Keane

There is no other Irish person close. Who ever is second, is a distant second

He is the most influential sports person in Irish sporting History, and in British football history

Any objections?

Yeah, you're probably right. The sport Keane played in, is played by millions of people world wide, so to be competitive at a high level in such a popular sport is indeed a great achievement.

There are probably only a handful of elite MMA fighter so McGregor doesn't compare.

cdeb

Edgware wrote: »

Or Nobel prize

You're mixing up your Yeatses there!

Collie D

cdeb wrote: »

You're mixing up your Keatses there!

And you’re mixing your Yeats with your Keats

Beechwoodspark

Christy ring

cdeb

Collie D wrote: »

And you’re mixing your Yeats with our Keats

Damned ninja edit wasn't quick enough! :mad:

endacl

By what measure? Henry Shefflin earned more silverware, captained more teams, and played for longer. Not international though.

The question is, as both Keane and Shefflin would agree no doubt, pointless. And any answer would be incorrect as it could easily be logically dismantled. ‘Who was the best ever’ is a mindset lads carry over from the playground debates of which was the best dinosaur, and Oasis v Blur.

Beechwoodspark

The o Donovan brothers

DrGreenThumb82

Jack Charlton. Won a World Cup. Beat that Roy Keane

cdeb

Clifton Hugh Lancelot de Verdon Wrottesley

Came fourth in the skeleton in the Winter Olympics despite us not having any aul bit of snow since that one time yer man hit his head off the footpath on the news

MrMusician18

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Michelle Smith de Bruin

Our most successful Olympian does get forgotten about in these lists.

facehugger99

If there's no debate, it calls into question the logic of starting a thread about it.

feargale

endacl wrote: »

By what measure? Henry Shefflin earned more silverware, captained more teams, and played for longer. Not international though.

The question is, as both Keane and Shefflin would agree no doubt, pointless. And any answer would be incorrect as it could easily be logically dismantled. ‘Who was the best ever’ is a mindset lads carry over from the playground debates of which was the best dinosaur, and Oasis v Blur.

Aye. 'Tis subjective.

Dtp1979

joe40 wrote: »

There are probably only a handful of elite MMA fighter so McGregor doesn't compare.

Yes, there’s only 5 elite MMA fighters in the world today.

Beechwoodspark

Pillar caffrey

Pawwed Rig

Roy Keane is not even the best footballer. In this order
1. Liam Brady
2. Paul McGrath
3. John Giles
4. Roy Keane

Rodney Bathgate

italodisco wrote: »

I hate to say it, as I can't stand him, but conor mcgregor would certainly be up there on the list

BOllocks.

Mad_maxx

sxt wrote: »

Roy Keane

There is no other Irish person close. Who ever is second, is a distant second

He is the most influential sports person in Irish sporting History, and in British football history

Any objections?

hes not even the greatest ever footballer - soccer player we have produced

Mad_maxx

Mad_maxx wrote: »

hes not even the greatest ever footballer - soccer player we have produced

George best?

mrkiscool2

Its between Taylor and Padraig Harrington for me. I think with what KT has done she edges it but I will always have a soft spot for Paddy.

lawred2

italodisco wrote: »

I hate to say it, as I can't stand him, but conor mcgregor would certainly be up there on the list

.anon.

DrGreenThumb82 wrote: »

Jack Charlton. Won a World Cup. Beat that Roy Keane

It's a common misconception that Big Jack won the World Cup with England in 1966. He actually won it with Ireland in 1990, thanks in no small part to Packie Bonner's amazing save when Toto Schillaci tried to score for Italy in the quarter finals.

Deebles McBeebles

Its clearly *insert some random GAA player from my county*.

My choice would be Keane and McGrath's lovechild.

Deebles McBeebles

DrGreenThumb82 wrote: »

Jack Charlton. Won a World Cup. Beat that Roy Keane

Also, was English.

Bobblehats

.anon. wrote: »

It's a common misconception that Big Jack won the World Cup with England in 1966. He actually won it with Ireland in 1990, thanks in no small part to Packie Bonner's amazing save when Toto Schillaci tried to score for Italy in the quarter finals.

Packie parried the shot with such velocity it fell into Jack Charltons path, who had the relatively easy task of slotting past an unsighted albeit not-bald-yet Walter Zenga.

Mad_maxx

Deleted User wrote: »

George best?

George Best was as british as finchely


paul mc grath was a better player , at least for ireland

never saw him play but anyone ive spoken to , claims john giles was better than keane

MrMusician18

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Our most successful Olympian does get forgotten about in these lists.

As far as I know, Jimmy Magee still protests her innocence. There are none so blind ...

Edit. He's dead isnt he? RIP memory man Jimmy Magee

kwestfan08

mrkiscool2 wrote: »

Its between Taylor and Padraig Harrington for me. I think with what KT has done she edges it but I will always have a soft spot for Paddy.

People take away from what McGregor did due to MMA being a niche sport and to a point that's fair enough. But womens boxing has to be an even shallower talent pool.

.anon.

Mad_maxx wrote: »

George Best was as british as finchely

He was from Belfast, which is in Ireland, not Britain, as can clearly be seen from aerial photographs.

A Tyrant Named Miltiades!

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

As far as I know, Jimmy Magee still protests her innocence. There are none so blind ...

Hes dead with years :pac:

Greyfox

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Roy Keane is not even the best footballer. In this order
1. Liam Brady
2. Paul McGrath
3. John Giles
4. Roy Keane

Your having a laugh, the other 3 are only legends by Irish Standards. Keane is a legend by world standards, he's one of the best players to ever play in English football.

cdeb

McGrath would be up there in fairness.

Cracked out our Euro 88 game against England the other evening (ITV commentary for some reason). Ron Atkinson said McGrath was probably the best defender in the tournament. Couldn't get over us playing him in centre-mid

Mad_maxx

.anon. wrote: »

He was from Belfast, which is in Ireland, not Britain, as can clearly be seen from aerial photographs.

he identified as british so has to be excluded

Mad_maxx

Mad_maxx wrote: »

George Best was as british as finchely

"You can't be an Ulsterman without being an Irishman", who said that?

Ian Paisley.

If that dirty bigot could call himself an Irishman, then so was George Best.

ronano

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Michelle Smith de Bruin

You're taking the whiskey smelling piss

deckie66

Pat O'Callaghan - double Olympic Gold Medalist Amsterdam 1928 & Los Angeles 1932

Mad_maxx

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

"You can't be an Ulsterman without being an Irishman", who said that?

Ian Paisley.

If that dirty bigot could call himself an Irishman, then so was George Best.

if best saw himself as irish , thats good enough for me , i dont think he did however

if he is irish

he is out in front as the best ever sports person from this country - island