The greatest Irish person...

Patser wrote: »

The poet Patrick Kavanagh tore his home county Monaghan to shreds in a few of his poems, most memorably Stony Grey Soil - in which he said the land was crap, the accent crap, the people there walked hunched and basically it fecked up his youth and he's delighted to be out of there.

You'll recognise Monaghan when you drive into it by the Welcome to Kavanagh County signs, and the Visit the Kavanagh Centre sign.

Do you think he 'hated' Ireland and thought it's people were the 'scum of the earth'?
Do you think he had nothing in common with the indigenous, Gaelic-speaking and Catholic Irish whom they (Wellesley's) despised and distrusted?

luke kelly

Why has no one mentioned Bosco? Is it cos he's a ginge?

Fratton Fred wrote: »

that wasn't "His" biographer, that was a man who wrote a book about him and that comment was made generally about the Anglo-Irish. Which is kind of odd, I wonder if that also includes Lord Edward FitzGerald, Sir John Gray and Theobald Wolfe Tone?

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34421177?selectedversion=NBD8656279

Also makes you wonder why, if he hated the irish, he had so many in his army http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2015/06/18/wellington-the-iron-irishman/

You 'wonder' why he had people he treated with contempt, from a class he thought were the 'scum of the earth' in his army???

Not getting into another of your pedantic defences of the realm Fred. But I think there is enough 'info' on this man to make him Britain's responsibility.

my mam !

Fratton Fred wrote: »

how does pointing out that you are once again posting complete and utter bollocks a "Defence of the realm"?

you really do come up with some crackers.:D

Once I read the bit about 'he wasn't his biographer he was a man who wrote a book about him' I knew where you where going with this. The familiar Fred bolthole. Defence.

Wellesley achieved a lot, but he was Anglo-Irish and very much British, in education and outlook.

I, for one, will leave him British.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34421177?selectedversion=NBD8656279



You 'wonder' why he had people he treated with contempt, from a class he thought were the 'scum of the earth' in his army???

Not getting into another of your pedantic defences of the realm Fred. But I think there is enough 'info' on this man to make him Britain's responsibility.

So he hated the Irish, his own troops, in all probability the French, none too fond of Indians or his own wife, has a dislike of his Opposition in Parliament (never saw so many shocking bad hats in my life) and even of his own cabinet (An extraordinary affair. I gave them their orders and they wanted to stay and discuss them.)

Still Irish, still an incredible man who remained undefeated in battle despite always being outnumbered and outgunned.

A Little Pony wrote: »

****ing love that guy. What a great general. Not as good as Napoleon though. Would have been interesting if the Prussians didn't turn up at Waterloo and it was just him and his Army.

He had it won. The French were spent after the Imperial Guards assault had failed. While it's unlikely Wellington would have been in any position to exploit this and mount a counter attack, which the Prussian arrival allowed and lead to Napoleon's complete defeat, even a drawn stalemate was all Wellington required for Napoleon's new plans to fail. And historically Wellington was very reluctant to attack if it was likely to lead to large casualties, so probably would have just stayed put, let Napoleon completely exhaust his troops attacking the hill and waited until whatever reinforcements arrived, whenever.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

So if you are a pretty shoddy man in general but happen to be able to fight that makes you 'great'?

There's a guy barred from my local that I want to nominate, goes by the name 'One Eye'.

Alexander the Great, drank too much, disliked Persians, cheated on his wife, good in battle - downgraded to Alexander the Meh!

Catherine the Great - usurped her husband, morally questionable, unified her country but you know, the whole horse thing - downgraded to Catherine the alright, but I'd still pay to watch.

LordSutch wrote: »

John Hume = Zero

Yep, he deserves huge respect and much more recognition.

Also missing and probably too late to nominate - Oscar Wilde and Johnaton Swift.