Most irish car

The all time classic, who has not driven one, sat in one or known someone who owned one. My wife had a 1999 one of these that gave 13 years faultless motoring, still on the road. It's amazing how many of the 99 /00 vintage are still going strong, saw three of them on Sunday.

The Shamrock?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock_(car)

The things were everywhere most common outside mass or the mart and so many of them still around. There's a least 7 or 8 local to me that are still daily driven

Back when Irish people rarely went beyond the British Isles, a lot of people associated Vauxhall with the UK and Opel with Ireland. The football sponsorship was big too, it was certainly a huge factor in their relative popularity here and the brand would have had a lot of goodwill because of it.

I wouldn’t say that many would still think that way, with them trying to tell us how German they were for a few years there,

Had a proper lol at the Tucson, you may put that away for the ten year anniversary of this thread, park it beside the mk1 Qashqai.

there is a chap on DD trying to sell an Omega GSI for an absolute bag load of cash because it was Jack Charltons - more than what a really good one would cost anywhere else in Europe. You have to think he see a car * some celebrity factor = $$$$$$$$$$$$$

maybe someone will bite - is Jacks son loaded and looking on doneDeal ???

So good, even the Gards bought them.

I think it tickled me just right because you nailed it, they're coming out of the woodwork, they're absolutely everywhere yet they are so anonymous it never crossed my mind.

They really are the Ford Escort of the 2010's or something. The place is crawling with them, a vehicle with no redeeming features, whatsoever.

Great link, Kadetts were everywhere in the mid nineties.

Mark lv Golf has to be up there too, still tonnes of them around every part of the country

In the mid 70's my 2 mates and I drove Ford Cortina MK3 s. But they weren't the most numerous car on the roads - if my memory serves me right. I'd say it was Ford Escorts. With more than a few Austin/Morris 1100/1300 and Morris Minors battling for attention in my memory.

So I'll stick with Ford Escort.

I might have an old photo of my MK3 from around 76 (it was a '71). Must dig it out.

In my area in South Roscommon there is/was a Seat dealership which was pinging out the cars in the late 1990s and 2000s, so a good 30% of locals seemed to be driving them, you wouldn't see a huge amount of them outside our general area but the world of 15 year-old me was full of Seat Ibizas, Toledos, Leons and Cordobas.

Apart from that, Toyota Carina/Avensis, Nissan Almera, VW Passat and the old Jetta.

Honourable mentions for the Nissan Micra, VW Golf and Ford Fiesta.

.....and the Berlina for the more discerning customer. (I always associate the Rekord E with GP's and Vets).

Opels sponsorship of Irish soccer team was brilliant idea by Arnold O byrne , I knew Opels were not made here but I considered them to be like the car of the irish during this time.

I seem to recall this monstrosity was to be found on every street in Ireland at one time 😳

The original Ford Fiesta

Ford sierra

renault 19

corolla and carina

I dispute your assertion that the Fiesta was a monstrosity. In fact it was the original supermini.

That lady you mention did have a pristine version (DLI registration I think) but sadly I believe it caught fire some time ago.

Renault 18 anyone? Never had one, but I remember when these came out in the 80s they often had electric windows. This was amazing at the time - and most especially because other much more upmarket cars like Mercs & Bemers still had windy-up windows.

... or what about a MK1 Punto? I had a posh 75 Elx at one point which was a grand yoke but without much evidence of Italian brio. Maybe because of this it was very reliable... The main problem was the ultra low-geared steering - I remember having to wind on extra lock in a panicked manner a number of times before I got used to it. Mine was metallic green like this one:

It was replaced by a not at all reliable Alfa 146 which had everything wrong with it except for a georgous flat 4 engine sound, and then by a 156 which I loved. These were also very common in the late 90s:

Objectively I'd say it has to be the Mk2 Ford Escort. I never really liked the things but it carries some sort of divinity in Irish car culture across generations whether it's car enthusiasts or motorsport fans. I can't think of any other car with the same following in this country.

Just look at the entry list for the national category of the Galway International Rally this weekend and tell me I'm wrong😅