Greatest Irish Athlete of all time?

Common Sense

Would like your opinions. Unfortunately I'm not of an age to remember anything pre-1956. Therefore my list would be as follows:

Delaney's Gold at the Olympics.

Sonia's double at the World Cross Country Championships.

Sonia & John Treacy's olympic silver medals

Sonia and Eamon Coghlan's world Gold medals.

Coghlan running the mile at 41 in sub 4

Marcus O'Sullivan's 100 sub 4s

Treacy's 2 world x country Gold medals

Catherina McKiernan's 4 world x country silver medals.

Coghlan's 4ths at the Montreal & Moscow olympics.

ecksor

Greatest athlete or greatest performances?

Greatest athlete for me would be Sonia.

Best from the list above would be her double at the World XC if I'm allowed add in the double she did at the europeans later that year and add in the context of the absolute bull she had to put up with from the Irish media and public after her disappointing performances in Atlanta and her poor season in 97.

Otherwise Delaney in '56. I certainly can't remember back that far, but I have seen recordings of the race and when you consider the history of the event and what was going on in the mid-50s and the names that you read about and that he went there and beat them ...

Honourable mention to another event I don't remember which is John Treacy's double world cross country golds since I know how much it meant to a lot of older athletics fans that I know to watch him complete the double in Limerick (plus he did that the day before I was born ). They still talk about the roar that went up in the racecourse down there.

marshmallow

sonia o'sullivan

is_that_so

Peter O'Connor 1900 Long Jump - World Record
Was still an Irish record 75 years later

Dr. Pat O'Callaghan 1928,1932 Gold medals
Ronnie Delaney - 1956
Sonia O'Sullivan
Eamon Coghlan


and Jerry Kiernan

Pherekydes

Surely it's Roy Keane?

Seriously, Sonia's best time for the 5k is 14:41, while our Eamo ran 13:x

So how does she qualify as Ireland's greatest athlete?

My own vote would go to either Peter O'Connor, already mentioned, or Bob Tisdall, who not only won Olympic gold in a really athletic discipline, but ran 51.7, a time which still ranks high up on the Irish all-time list.

Having seen Sonia's dismal attempt in the Superstars, we have to ask, "Is she an athlete or just a runner?"

John Treacy?? Is this the guy who is trying to kill off his own sport? Athletic my ar$e.

Common Sense

Sorry about the misleading headline. I meant to say Best Irish athletic achievement of all time. Having said that, I find the replies interesting. I agree and disagree with slow coach. Treacy's performance as head of the Sports Council (however good or badly you think he's doing it) should not enter into our consideration as to his athletic achievements. I barely remember Delaney's triumph and remember the excitement it caused at the time (I was 8 at the time); I recently read "The Perfect Mile" which profiled the attempts made to be the first man under 4 minutes. Incredibly, Delaney beat Landy in Melbourne. He was also among the top 10 athletes in the world (I think) to go under 4 minutes.

ecksor

Slow coach wrote:

Seriously, Sonia's best time for the 5k is 14:41, while our Eamo ran 13:x

So how does she qualify as Ireland's greatest athlete?

Well hey, Mark Carroll has run 13:03.

"Is she an athlete or just a runner?"

"Just a runner" ? She has been world champion 3 times, European champion 3 times and at one point was the top woman track and field athlete in the world.

The only explanation I can get from the two things I've quoted is that you don't rate women's athletics at all.

Pherekydes

ecksor wrote:

She has been world champion 3 times, European champion 3 times and at one point was the top woman track and field athlete in the world.

At running...

The question was "...greatest athlete...".

Now what constitutes an athlete? I ran against Treacy, and he looks the most unathletic person you could expect to see. He was a runner, period.

Now if you want to decide the greatest performance, then that's a different question. Tisdall, O'Connor, Coghlan and Delaney would be my choices.

For achievements, that's another question again. O'Sullivan's two doubles in '98 are hard to top.

If a woman qualifies as Ireland's greatest athlete, then surely by extending that logic (Big shark in own limited pool) then we can nominate Michelle Carroll and Emily Maher.

Carroll is the fastest ever 16 year old female in Europe. Her time has stood since 1978, and has withstood all-comers from East Germany and Russia, amongst others.

Maher won the sprint double at the World Youth Olympics in '98.

ecksor

Slow coach wrote:

At running...

The question was "...greatest athlete...".

Check what forum you're on.

Now what constitutes an athlete? I ran against Treacy, and he looks the most unathletic person you could expect to see. He was a runner, period.

Indeed, and your visual inspection has nothing to do with what constitutes an athlete.

Are you going to offer your definition or just throw more names around? I suppose your use of the phrase "a really athletic discipline" suggests that you see long distance runners as glorified joggers or something.

If a woman qualifies as Ireland's greatest athlete, then surely by extending that logic (Big shark in own limited pool) then we can nominate Michelle Carroll and Emily Maher.

But by your logic we've had men who ran faster so how could they be counted, yeah?

Pherekydes

ecksor wrote:

Check what forum you're on.

What? Do you think I don't know?

Indeed, and your visual inspection has nothing to do with what constitutes an athlete.
Are you going to offer your definition or just throw more names around? I suppose your use of the phrase "a really athletic discipline" suggests that you see long distance runners as glorified joggers or something.

I just gave my opinion. That's all. Anyone who disagrees can give their own. I'm not handing out money on the strength of.

But by your logic we've had men who ran faster so how could they be counted, yeah?

Not my logic. Those who picked a woman as Ireland's greatest athlete.

PowerHouseDan

Sam Lynchs World Champion Rowing

ecksor

Slow coach wrote:

What? Do you think I don't know?

Well, I'm wondering what criteria you're going on to mention someone like Roy Keane on this forum.

I just gave my opinion. That's all. Anyone who disagrees can give their own. I'm not handing out money on the strength of.

Oh well, such a thing is subjective anyway. I'm just boggling at some of the things you've said is all and wondering what reasoning lead to them.

Not my logic. Those who picked a woman as Ireland's greatest athlete.

I'm afraid I don't understand. You don't think a woman deserves to be considered for the title of "Ireland's greatest athlete?". Apologies if I've misinterpreted, but if I haven't then why shouldn't a woman be considered for that title?

Pherekydes

ecksor wrote:

Well, I'm wondering what criteria you're going on to mention someone like Roy Keane on this forum.

Here's the quote:

slow coach wrote:

Surely it's Roy Keane?

Seriously...

The 'seriously' should give you a clue that I wasn't being serious about I.Keano

Oh well, such a thing is subjective anyway. I'm just boggling at some of the things you've said is all and wondering what reasoning lead to them.

Exactly. It's all subjective. I boggled when nobody mentioned Tisdall; or Ireland's double Olympic Champion; or the numerous World Class Jumpers we had before the formation of the state, like O'Connor.

I'm afraid I don't understand. You don't think a woman deserves to be considered for the title of "Ireland's greatest athlete?". Apologies if I've misinterpreted, but if I haven't then why shouldn't a woman be considered for that title?

On the few occasions Sonia has raced against men (road races), where has she finished? Top 20? Top 15? So what makes her a greater athlete than the guys who finish ahead of her?

ecksor

...