What are the biggest “what ifs” in Irish sports?

What if Eamonn Couglan had been at his best in the olympics surrounding his world championship win in Helsinki?

What if Barry McGuigan hadn't been miss- managed and didn't fight in the Las Vegas midday sun over 15 rounds against Stevie Cruz. Think they even ran out of water during this fight? And he was leading going into the last round.

McGuigan had a good career but he couldn't have gone down as an all time great if as the champ this fight was organised on his terms.

100% this - we will never know what would have happened and how far we would have gone - and given how low the Irish football team has fallen now, wonder or if it will ever happen again.

He seams to like the World cup now, given how much he was on the box in Qatar.

The biggest what if for me is what it the GAA hadn't taken off in this country? Would most promising young athletes in field sports be playing soccer like they do in most other countries? How many all stars in GAA would be Irish internationals and could we actually compete against the best in football tournaments if it didn't exist?

I respect that we have our own cultural identity in Ireland and do enjoy the odd Gaelic or hurling game, but the average person here has serious unrealistic expectations of our international teams prospects when we have GAA dominating and nabbing the best sports people in large swaths of the country. The same could be said for rugby in a few small pockets.

My thoughts on Keane at the 92 WC is he was the one player everything would have went through so if teams marked him tight would be have had a plan B. Would we have got to the Spain match.

Thanks Speak Now,

I'm not certain now that I've looked up his profile on Wikipedia etc. I see he went out twice in first round in the breaststroke 100m in Seoul & Barcelona. (4th on both occasions)

I remember reading some years later, that all those who had placed ahead of him were subsequently caught for using PEDs. So I presume that was in 88 at Seoul, but I couldn't swear to it. Good spot!!

What if Dublin GAA received the same funding as the other counties for the past 20 years, would they have won anything?

Could have made the final but Brazil were on a different level to everyone.

What do you mean "the other counties" they all get different amounts.

As for soccer the great "what if" is what if John Delaney never got the top job. We will be paying for that on and off the pitch for years.

Why wouldn’t Dublin receive the most funding ?

they have more clubs, more teams then any other counties aside from Cork.

Why don’t Cork get more ? Who knows.

but to suggest that Dublin should get the same funding as say Waterford ? Shows a misunderstanding of the purpose of funding.

should the University Hospital in Waterford get the same funding as The Mater in Dublin…? No :) the Mater has 719 beds and 19 operating theatres..

University hospital in Waterford has 429 beds and 8 operating theatres… same principle applies in the GAA…

funding is comparative to the needs and demands of the sports in each county.

The money some football fans complain about is GAA money not government.

And don't call him Shirley 🤣