The Sporting Success of Northern Ireland

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-06-2017 03:53AM #1

Think about it, a tiny country, 6 counties. 1 million people.

But yet they have produced great sporting heros for their size. George Best, a great in his time, unfortunately of course his bad habits caught up with him and his career petered out far too early. He was only 27 when things went wrong. When he should have been in his prime.

They also were the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup quarter final in 1958, long before the Republic ever qualified for anything. Trinadad and Toboga took their smallest country ever to qualify in 2006.

They've also produced 3 Major Winners in golf, McIlroy, McDowell and Clarke. Michael Hoey is also a 5 time winner on the European tour

Boxing champs like Frampton.

Snooker world champs like Alex Higgins and Denis Taylor

Then think of motorsport, Eddie Irvine, Joey Dunlop.

Nordies really do punch above their weight in the global sporting world. On a per captia basis they're streets ahead of us southerners.

Lucy8080 · 03-06-2017 05:32AM

Look, most of those sports (football aside) were highly motivated. They kept
you off the (dangerous) streets.

The measure of the north's sporting prowess should be their lack of olympic shooting medals. Not even a bronze!

Absolutely nothing to show for their most funded/practiced pass-time!

By that measure we can see that they got a bit flukey, at times, with other sports.

flas · 03-06-2017 06:17AM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Think about it, a tiny country, 6 counties. 1 million people.

But yet they have produced great sporting heros for their size. George Best, a great in his time, unfortunately of course his bad habits caught up with him and his career petered out far too early. He was only 27 when things went wrong. When he should have been in his prime.

They also were the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup quarter final in 1958, long before the Republic ever qualified for anything. Trinadad and Toboga took their smallest country ever to qualify in 2006.

They've also produced 3 Major Winners in golf, McIlroy, McDowell and Clarke. Michael Hoey is also a 5 time winner on the European tour

Boxing champs like Frampton.

Snooker world champs like Alex Higgins and Denis Taylor

Then think of motorsport, Eddie Irvine, Joey Dunlop.

Nordies really do punch above their weight in the global sporting world. On a per captia basis they're streets ahead of us southerners.

You can't really include sports that are run on an all island basis like golf or rugby or motorsport or boxing,these sports and the stars they have produced have benefited massively from all island participation and funding.

03-06-2017 06:23AM

Brendan Dolan, the History Maker...

mfceiling · 03-06-2017 06:27AM

Lucy8080 wrote: »

The measure of the north's sporting prowess should be their lack of olympic shooting medals. Not even a bronze!

By that measure we can see that they got a bit flukey, at times, with other sports.

The lack of shooting medals was simple...they weren't allowed to wear their balaclavas.

How were they "flukey" with other sports? McIlroy flukey? Frampton flukey?

Lucy8080 · 03-06-2017 06:40AM

o.k. I'll admit the flukey bit is a bit toungue in cheek, but let's keep it between ourselves...it is A.H. after all...standards kid,standards.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-06-2017 06:49AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Brendan Dolan, the History Maker...

Yes great guy.

You who is better again is Daryl Gurney another Norn. I know darts, I play in a local league and follow the high level whether it be watching BDO streams or the PDC events that Sky cover.

Gurney is the greatest scorer I've ever seen. If he gets his finishing down to a fine art and his head in the right place I think he could be a future PDC World Champion.

Without a doubt. If anybody wants to learn how to play darts, mimic how Gurney throws a dart at a board.

03-06-2017 07:26AM

Gurney more talented...but he'll find it hard to blow the roof off a venue like this...

http://youtu.be/QxB3t3oNc-E

beertons · 03-06-2017 07:34AM

Thought they'd have a few shooting medals. They were mad at it in the eighties.

munster87 · 03-06-2017 07:56AM

AP McCoy

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-06-2017 07:58AM

munster87 wrote: »

AP McCoy

Good call, never thought about the jockeys.

The_Kew_Tour · 03-06-2017 08:11AM

Peter Canavan. Mickey Linden, Anthony Tohill.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-06-2017 08:16AM

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Peter Canavan. Mickey Linden, Anthony Tohill.

Mickey Linden the greatest wing forward of the 90s.

My earliest memories of the Championship is watching Down in 94.

I remember loving that jersey. Outside of Carlow there is no other better shirt than the red and black of Down.

Avatar MIA · 03-06-2017 08:19AM

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

Peter Canavan. Mickey Linden, Anthony Tohill.

We're talking real sports here.

03-06-2017 08:25AM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Mickey Linden the greatest wing forward of the 90s...

Was...he not...right corner forward?

DrumSteve · 03-06-2017 08:27AM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

We're talking real sports here.

*gets popcorn*

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-06-2017 08:40AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Was...he not...right corner forward?

In Tipp we call that wing.

03-06-2017 09:22AM

Lucy8080 wrote: »

The measure of the north's sporting prowess should be their lack of olympic shooting medals. Not even a bronze!

Absolutely nothing to show for their most funded/practiced pass-time!

By that measure we can see that they got a bit flukey, at times, with other sports.

NI don't have an Olympic team, so there's that.

The_Kew_Tour · 03-06-2017 09:54AM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

We're talking real sports here.

You're right.

Billy Wright or Michael Stone?

DEFTLEFTHAND · 03-06-2017 10:11AM

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

You're right.

Billy Wright or Michael Stone?

Wrights an interesting character. Raised in South Armagh and played football up to a minor level.

His sister Angela married a Catholic man from Tipperary who Billy became great friends with.

She stated after his death that his war was to have Ulster remain in the Union, it wasn't about a hatred of Catholics.

Just like the people who killed him in the INLA. They weren't anti prod by any means. A bunch of batsh1t socialists.

buried · 03-06-2017 10:25AM

Y'all ain't smoking on my level
Y'all ain't f**king on my level
Y'all ain't dranking on my level
Y'all ain't nothing on my level

03-06-2017 10:28AM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Wrights an interesting character. Raised in South Armagh and played football up to a minor level.

His sister Angela married a Catholic man from Tipperary who Billy became great friends with.

She stated after his death that his war was to have Ulster remain in the Union, it wasn't about a hatred of Catholics.

Just like the people who killed him in the INLA. They weren't anti prod by any means. A bunch of batsh1t socialists.

INLA even had a protestant leader.

Crossmaglen are another great sports club

Ultimate Seduction · 03-06-2017 10:33AM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote:

Gurney is the greatest scorer I've ever seen. If he gets his finishing down to a fine art and his head in the right place I think he could be a future PDC World Champion.

Greatest scorer you've ever seen? Have you ever heard of Garry Anderson.

mackeire · 03-06-2017 10:34AM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Yes great guy.

You who is better again is Daryl Gurney another Norn. I know darts, I play in a local league and follow the high level whether it be watching BDO streams or the PDC events that Sky cover.

Gurney is the greatest scorer I've ever seen. If he gets his finishing down to a fine art and his head in the right place I think he could be a future PDC World Champion.

Without a doubt. If anybody wants to learn how to play darts, mimic how Gurney throws a dart at a board.

Serious attitude problems!
And I don't just mean on the TV!

Ultimate Seduction · 03-06-2017 10:35AM

Paddy Barnes, Mick Conlon and Barry McGugian 3 of the best 5 boxers this island ever had

Ultimate Seduction · 03-06-2017 10:36AM

Omackeral wrote:

NI don't have an Olympic team, so there's that.

I think that was the joke..

OldMrBrennan83 · 03-06-2017 10:38AM

This post has been deleted.

mackeire · 03-06-2017 10:42AM

Patww79 wrote: »

Barry McGuigan is Irish is he not?

Not, he Northern.

statesaver · 03-06-2017 10:47AM

McGuigan was born in Monaghan

Avatar MIA · 03-06-2017 10:48AM

statesaver wrote: »

McGuigan was born in Monaghan

The Clones Cyclone being the clue

armaghlad · 03-06-2017 10:54AM

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Wrights an interesting character. Raised in South Armagh and played football up to a minor level.

His sister Angela married a Catholic man from Tipperary who Billy became great friends with.

She stated after his death that his war was to have Ulster remain in the Union, it wasn't about a hatred of Catholics.

Just like the people who killed him in the INLA. They weren't anti prod by any means. A bunch of batsh1t socialists.

Completely off topic but Wright was arguably the most anti-catholic sectarian monster ever born

The Sporting Success of Northern Ireland

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