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

Ah this mma isn’t a sport is just nonsense of course it’s a sport as it fits the criteria for being a sport. You may not like it or the people involved but you can’t dismiss based on that. I dislike basketball but if the top nba star was from mullingar and I said I don’t count him as I don’t consider basketball a sport I’d be laughed out of the forum.
Best isn’t as well known as Mc Gregor because he was famous long before the obsession with celebrity and social media came along. If he was playing now and living his lifestyle he would be a massive celebrity making him very well known but he’s not outside of limited circles.
Mc Gregor bring as famous as he is isn’t a slight on any other sports or sportspeople that we might hold high by the way he’s just a product of modern obsessions.

Uncharted wrote: »

I'v no time for Mc Gregor,I think he is a slimy scrote of the highest order.

The fact is though, he is hands down,the most famous sportsperson to EVER come from Ireland.

His name is known worldwide,even by people who know nothing about MMA.

I'd say Rory McIlroy is probably more or at least as famous, just not as notorious perhaps.

odyssey06 wrote:

Personally I don't think it's a sport, but I don't have a strong opinion on it either way. But given that a lot of people on this thread don't think it's a sport, and this is even reflected in the official stance of some countries, I don't think it's legit to count McGregor's fame as being that of a sports star.

It's a sport. There are lots of McGregor haters out there and on boards.ie who will come up with any ridiculous notion to try and void him of any credit.
I'm not a huge McGregor fan, hate all the vile stuff that comes out of his mouth but he is a sportsman. MMA is a sport. You can't take that away from him. He is one more of the biggest sports stars in the world. No hiding from that fact.

odyssey06 wrote:

Do I have to spell out why I don't list GAA stars???

I was just pointing out that you didn't list any sport which you claimed was UK and Ireland only.

odyssey06 wrote:

I don't see your point? How many Chinese or Indian people play or follow the Ryder Cup or even know the competition exists? Google suggests less than 500,000 golfers in China. Harrington and McIlroy have a global profile in golf but golf's profile does not match soccer. Not does it have the concentrated numbers of fans of cricket in populous countries such as India, Pakistan.

Golf is watched all over the world. The PGA tour have a mini-tour in China. Haotong Li is a huge star in China and he is playing on the PGA tour now.
I don't watch the Ryder Cup anymore and I'm a huge golf fan. The majors are where it's at, McIlroy and Harrington are multiple major winners ergo they are huge names globally.
I'm not claiming that soccer isn't a huge global game. Two of the three most recognised names globally would be Messi and Ronaldo with Mayweather being the other one.
My point was about Roy Keane who was well known in the UK and Ireland, and pretty well known to soccer fans in Europe but he wouldn't have anywhere close to the global identification of McIlroy, Harrington or McGregor.

odyssey06 wrote:

If you showed someone a picture of Padraig Harrington outside Ireland or outside of a golf club who would know him? Best was European Footballer of the Year in 1968. Football is the most popular sport in UK and Ireland and he has been famous there for five decades. Manchester United have 70 million followers on Facebook, if even 10% of them take an interest in the history of their club, that's millions who will know who Best is. Plus, airport.

You see you don't seem to understand that sports stars are known by more people nowadays due to social media and by 24 hour sports coverage.

odyssey06 wrote:

I did say that the views of him and UFC could change.

MMA is a sport. Go check kids books and it's listed as a sport, go to the BBC list of sports and you'll find it there too. Hell go to any respected site for a list of sports and you'll find it.

odyssey06 wrote: »

Personally I don't think it's a sport, but I don't have a strong opinion on it either way. But given that a lot of people on this thread don't think it's a sport, and this is even reflected in the official stance of some countries, I don't think it's legit to count McGregor's fame as being that of a sports star.

What is your criteria for something to be considered a sport?

The combined fame and reach of all other Irish sports stars is probably about that of McGregor. He transcended the sport of UFC. People who have never watched a fight, or his boxing fight, know his name. Your grandmother knows who he is.

As much as people don't want to admit it, he's just on a different level.

Rory McIlroy has to be 2nd. He does have the PGA golf videogame named after him.

Knex. wrote: »

The combined fame and reach of all other Irish sports stars is probably about that of McGregor. He transcended the sport of UFC. People who have never watched a fight, or his boxing fight, know his name. Your grandmother knows who he is.

As much as people don't want to admit it, he's just on a different level.

Rory McIlroy has to be 2nd. He does have the PGA golf videogame named after him.

UFC is not a Sport it’s an organisation.

Omackeral wrote: »

-Kurt Angle is an Olympic gold medalist.

-Mark Henry was legitimately the world's strongest man.

-Current WWE Woomen's champion Ronda Rousey is a former UFC Womens Champion and an Olympic medalist in judo.

-Brock Lesnar was a 2 time NCAA wrestling champion as well as UFC Heavyweight Champion.

That's off the top of my head.

You've shown your ignorance on here already. Keep it up though.

Ken Shamrock was also a UFC fighter.

odyssey06 wrote: »

McIlroy has 1.2 millon facebook fans. I wonder where it ranks globally.

McGregor has 7.9 million facebook fans and over 20x Rorys instagram followers.

Again, what is your criteria for something to be considered a sport?

Naos wrote: »

Again, what is your criteria for something to be considered a sport?

If it's a legitimate sport why is it not recognised as such in France and not recognised by Sport Ireland through any official sports governing body in this country?

odyssey06 wrote: »

If it's a legitimate sport why is it not recognised as such in France and not recognised by Sport Ireland through any official sports governing body in this country?

Did you misunderstand my question? I am asking what criteria you would use for something to be deemed a sport.

Naos wrote: »

Did you misunderstand my question? I am asking what criteria you would use for something to be deemed a sport.

Boxing is recognised by sport Ireland and the Olympics because it's competitive but also meets certain standards in terms of the welfare of participants.
My understanding is that MMA at present doesn't meet those standards and so isn't recognised.

What criteria do you use for something to be deemed a sport?

odyssey06 wrote: »

Boxing is recognised by sport Ireland and the Olympics because it's competitive but also meets certain standards in terms of the welfare of participants.
My understanding is that MMA at present doesn't meet those standards and so isn't recognised.

What criteria do you use for something to be deemed a sport?

There is a very simple definition of a sport, just have a quick google. Your mixing up sport with having a sporting organization recognized by a state.

normanoffside wrote: »

UFC is not a Sport it’s an organisation.

And GAA is not a sport, its an association. But we all know saying that is pedantic nonsense.

xckjoo wrote: »

Not sure that's a reliable metric. Does hurling have a governing body in France? Are those bodies not more related to funding and promotion than anything else?

If it was being played there on a competitive organised basis then I'd think some sort of governing body would be needed. Especially if the organisation governing sport in the country as a whole had publicly expressed concerns about the safety of participants and actively did not recognise it as a sport.