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Why is there ever a debate about who was the best Irish Sports person ever? *READ OP*

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Comments

  • #152
    ShatterAlan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,807 ✭✭✭ShatterAlan


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Couldn't think of a worse ambassador, McGregor is a feral knackbag.


    True.


    But so is Mike Tyson...a scummer of the highest order. BUT classed as one of America's greatest sports persons.


    Pele was another knacker who slutted around, abandoned his kids, didn't even go to funerals of children he whelped.


    I suppose it's all down to ability rather than a person's moral compass.


    Tiger Woods? A charlatan nice-guy who was mucking around with pornstars.
    Ryan Giggs? Shagging his brother's wife for YEARS while being a UNESCO ambassador.


  • #153
    Morrison J
    Registered Users Posts: 3,844 ✭✭✭Morrison J


    Jimmy McLarnin

    Most boxing historians would tell you he's a top 20-30 P4P boxer of all time. Above the big modern names like Mayweather and Pacquiao. Should be far more celebrated on this island.


  • #154
    feargale
    Registered Users Posts: 8,636 ✭✭✭feargale


    A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »
    "You can't be an Ulsterman without being an Irishman", who said that?

    Ian Paisley.

    If that dirty bigot could call himself an Irishman, then so was George Best.

    Easy there. The man took a bath from time to time.


  • #155
    feargale
    Registered Users Posts: 8,636 ✭✭✭feargale


    ShatterAlan wrote: »
    True.


    But so is Mike Tyson...a scummer of the highest order. BUT classed as one of America's greatest sports persons.


    Pele was another knacker who slutted around, abandoned his kids, didn't even go to funerals of children he whelped.


    I suppose it's all down to ability rather than a person's moral compass.


    Tiger Woods? A charlatan nice-guy who was mucking around with pornstars.
    Ryan Giggs? Shagging his brother's wife for YEARS while being a UNESCO ambassador.

    You seem to take a special interest in this shagging business. I'd say there would be a run on popcorn in your house if it ever became an Olympic event.


  • #156
    eagle eye
    Registered Users Posts: 37,448 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    Truthvader wrote:
    Disqualified
    She wasn't disqualified.


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  • #157
    eagle eye
    Registered Users Posts: 37,448 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    Most famous Irish sports person is probably McGregor.
    Picking the best is very difficult. In modern times I think Brian O'Driscoll would have to be up there.Padraig Harrington too. Roy Keane as mentioned by the OP. Going a bit further back and Eamon Coughlan was a great one and World Champ over 5000 metres too. And then there's our great Olympian and multiple weight pro world Champion boxer Katie Taylor.


  • #158
    Abel Ruiz
    Registered Users Posts: 887 ✭✭✭Abel Ruiz


    Sonia o'sullivan.
    Multiple world champion, silver in the Olympics. Held World records for years, the 2km and 2mile.


  • #159
    yerwanthere123
    Registered Users, Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,273 Mod ✭✭✭✭yerwanthere123


    Not reading through the whole thread to see if she got a mention, but surely Sonia O'Sullivann is a decent shout here? World champion and Olympic silver medallist whilst having to compete against the doped up Chinese and Russians is no mean feat. At one point had one of the fastest mile and 3,000m in history too.


  • #160
    Gretas Gonna Get Ya!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,245 ✭✭✭Gretas Gonna Get Ya!


    sxt wrote: »
    Roy Keane

    There is no other Irish person close. Who ever is second, is a distant second

    He is the most influential sports person in Irish sporting History, and in British football history

    Any objections?

    Roy Keane was a great player, but he only has one Champions League to his name in his entire career... and he didn't even play in that final.

    People tend to overhype the premier league and how much it's really worth in terms of sporting achievement. To truly be classed among the greats of the game, you really need to be dominating both domestically and in europe. Keane's man utd team never really did that consistently. (Apart from the treble season - but that was only one season out of about 13/14 that he was at the club)


  • #161
    Gretas Gonna Get Ya!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,245 ✭✭✭Gretas Gonna Get Ya!


    Abel Ruiz wrote: »
    Sonia o'sullivan.
    Multiple world champion, silver in the Olympics. Held World records for years, the 2km and 2mile.

    Would be a great shout, but she always seemed to bottle it at the olympics for some reason. I think the pressure of winning olympic gold, and the hopes of the entire nation, were just too much for her to handle mentally!


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  • #162
    Coillte_Bhoy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,883 ✭✭✭Coillte_Bhoy


    eagle eye wrote: »
    Most famous Irish sports person is probably McGregor.
    Picking the best is very difficult. In modern times I think Brian O'Driscoll would have to be up there.Padraig Harrington too. Roy Keane as mentioned by the OP. Going a bit further back and Eamon Coughlan was a great one and World Champ over 5000 metres too. And then there's our great Olympian and multiple weight pro world Champion boxer Katie Taylor.
    O'Driscoll? A great in his sport, yes. But its a sport played seriously by less than 10 countries


  • #163
    Tell me how
    Registered Users Posts: 21,517 ✭✭✭✭Tell me how


    afro man wrote: »
    Who identified him as British.. Born n bred in the island of ireland

    The Good Friday Agreement.


  • #164
    lawrencesummers
    Registered Users Posts: 8,448 ✭✭✭lawrencesummers


    Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »
    O'Driscoll? A great in his sport, yes. But its a sport played seriously by less than 10 countries

    You know 20 teams competed at the last World Cup right? And a lot of countries didn’t qualify.


  • #165
    tritriagain
    Registered Users Posts: 1,156 ✭✭✭tritriagain


    lawrencesummers wrote: »
    You know 20 teams competed at the last World Cup right? And a lot of countries didn’t qualify.

    I'm a rugby fan but realistically the rugby world cup can be won by one of eight teams.( At a push)


  • #166
    S. Goodspeed
    Registered Users Posts: 418 ✭✭S. Goodspeed


    Strumms wrote: »
    No way would you put Harrington up there, he’s shat the bed in numerous big competitions when he’s been leading. Ok three majors and around 06/07/08 he was something else.... a real purple patch..But .... blowing a three shot lead somewhere with three holes to play and he is interviewed... “ Padraig, you must be devastated ?”... PH : “ahhh sure, ahhh sure, look it’s a lovely day isn’t it.” He’s been second so often that it’s just bewildering.

    Roy Keane :

    7 Premier League Championships

    4 FA Cups

    1 Champions League

    1 intercontinental Cup

    1 Scottish League

    1 Scottish League Cup

    12 years at United, 13 trophies.

    The fact Padraig was second so often in a highly competitive is a pretty remarkable feat for a start. He was also around during peak Tiger Woods. I wouldn’t have him top sportsperson but its farcical trying to write him off as some loser bottler when he has three majors when only a handful of players (5 I think) have more since the 90s.

    Roy Keane won all of his titles in a completely dominant team playing in a largely uncompetitive league for most of his time there. John O’Shea has a pretty similar list of medals (including 5 Premier League titles), do we make him Ireland’s number two sports person on that basis? I don’t care about Saipan but barely representing your country on the top stage has to count against you.

    Personally I’d say it’s Sonia O’Sullivan. She competed in a sport that pretty much ever girl in the world is forced to try at some point. She was robbed of multiple world and Olympic titles by competitors who it is widely accepted (and in many cases proven) were doping and yet she still dominated the world scene for years.

    Other names I’d throw in are Giles, Brady, O’Driscoll (limited popularity of rugby globally hurts him), McGregor (definitely not a fan but ask any yank to name an Irish person let alone sports person and they’ll name him), McElroy & Best if we are taking in Northies. I’m sure I’m missing others. Katie Taylor is a star but really competing in a very limited pool hurts her.


  • #167
    YFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 9,717 ✭✭✭YFlyer


    A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »
    As far as I know, Jimmy Magee still protests her innocence. There are none so blind ...

    Edit. He's dead isnt he? RIP memory man Jimmy Magee

    Mr Magoo.


  • #168
    Mysterypunter
    Registered Users Posts: 2,806 ✭✭✭Mysterypunter


    lawrencesummers wrote: »
    You know 20 teams competed at the last World Cup right? And a lot of countries didn’t qualify.

    Ireland never got past the last 8 in a world cup, so rugby players can't be considered, its the world stage, not beating France and England at home, and Wales and Scotland away. To win the 5 nations, (everyone beats Italy). Why is the Clones Cyclone not mentioned at all, Barry McGuigan won 27 straight fights in a tough division, and only got chinned because of the greed of his promoter Barney Eastwood who wanted to make a few quid, and sent him out to fight in very high temperatures against Steve Cruz in Vegas. Northern bias again maybe. Sean Drea would be my pick, a high class rower who was second in the world champions, in 1975, broke the world record in the Olympic semi final the following year, but unfortunately only managed 4th in the final. He spent a lot of his career rowing against Russians, who cheated a bit, and notorious East Germany who cheated a lot, where even the women had beards.


  • #169
    Muscles Schultz
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 302 ✭✭Muscles Schultz


    sxt wrote: »
    Can you name an Irish sports star that would compare?

    That ginger lass who won all the swimming medals


  • #170
    YFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 9,717 ✭✭✭YFlyer


    eagle eye wrote: »
    Most famous Irish sports person is probably McGregor.
    Picking the best is very difficult. In modern times I think Brian O'Driscoll would have to be up there.Padraig Harrington too. Roy Keane as mentioned by the OP. Going a bit further back and Eamon Coughlan was a great one and World Champ over 5000 metres too. And then there's our great Olympian and multiple weight pro world Champion boxer Katie Taylor.

    How is McGregor the most famous? Roy Keane or Damian Duff would have been watched in practically every country in the world on a weekly basis playing Premier League football.


  • #171
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,271 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    tritriagain wrote: »
    I'm a rugby fan but realistically the rugby world cup can be won by one of eight teams.( At a push)

    Soccer is much more widely participated in and doesn’t have many more countries likely to win a World Cup. It’s the same for most team sports dominated by a small number of countries. Some people get a chip on their shoulder about rugby and how many countries play it at the top level when really what they mean is it’s not soccer and I don’t like it.


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  • #172
    Rockbeast2
    Registered Users Posts: 798 ✭✭✭Rockbeast2


    Kevin Moran

    Revolutionized centre-half back play with Dublin in the 70s, winning:

    2 All-Irelands
    3 Leinster Titles
    1 League Title
    1 All-Star

    Then, he CHANGES SPORT to soccer.

    Wins 2 FA Cups with Manchester Utd

    Represents Ireland 70+ times.
    Plays in European Championships 1988
    Plays in World Cup 1990
    Squad member for 1994 World Cup at age of 38.


  • #173
    lawrencesummers
    Registered Users Posts: 8,448 ✭✭✭lawrencesummers


    tritriagain wrote: »
    I'm a rugby fan but realistically the rugby world cup can be won by one of eight teams.( At a push)

    What a stupid argument. How many at a soccer world cup can realistically win it? one of 3? one of 4?


  • #174
    valoren
    Registered Users Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭valoren


    A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »
    Guy Boros. Professional "athlete"

    Ronaldo. World Cup winner. "athlete"

    Ronaldo.jpg


  • #175
    pconn062
    Registered Users Posts: 5,370 ✭✭✭pconn062


    Trying to decide whose best is pointless in such varied sports but it's hard to look past Sonia O'Sullivan. In an individual sport she won:

    3 European championships
    One world championship on the track
    Two world championships in cross country
    Olympic silver
    Former world record holder


  • #176
    wexandproud
    Registered Users Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭wexandproud


    pconn062 wrote: »
    Trying to decide whose best is pointless in such varied sports but it's hard to look past Sonia O'Sullivan. In an individual sport she won:

    3 European championships
    One world championship on the track
    Two world championships in cross country
    Olympic silver
    Former world record holder
    for me Sean kelly would be number 1 and sonia a close second
    Kelly worlds number 1 for 4 years . Don't know of any other irish sports person ranked number 1 in their sport for 4 consecutive years . Almost 300 wins in his career including tour of spain which is often said by the pros to be a tougher race than the TDF . During his 16 yr career he was one of the most consistent rider's all year , every year


  • #177
    irishguitarlad
    Registered Users Posts: 2,744 ✭✭✭irishguitarlad


    Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »
    Roy Keane was a great player, but he only has one Champions League to his name in his entire career... and he didn't even play in that final.

    People tend to overhype the premier league and how much it's really worth in terms of sporting achievement. To truly be classed among the greats of the game, you really need to be dominating both domestically and in europe. Keane's man utd team never really did that consistently. (Apart from the treble season - but that was only one season out of about 13/14 that he was at the club)

    This. The Serie A was the league in the nineties up until around 2002 when the arse fell out of It. If Keane had won those titles in Italy I'd probably rate him higher.


  • #178
    lawrencesummers
    Registered Users Posts: 8,448 ✭✭✭lawrencesummers


    This debate starts and ends with Brian Corcoran.

    A dual player of the highest level who was exceptional in attack and defence.


  • #179
    begbysback
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭begbysback


    lawrencesummers wrote: »
    What a stupid argument. How many at a soccer world cup can realistically win it? one of 3? one of 4?

    Rugby has zero credibility with the amount of overhyped friendlies, it’s structured terribly, how can it be taken seriously when the sport tries to sell games where a bunch of northern hemisphere players are picked to play a bunch of southern hemisphere players, and it’s marketed as if it’s a war, another overhyped friendly which most people don’t care about. No rugby player should ever get “greatest” anything, you may as well pick a cricket player.


  • #180
    cdeb
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 7,123 Mod ✭✭✭✭cdeb


    Gretas Gonna Get Ya! wrote: »
    Would be a great shout, but she always seemed to bottle it at the olympics for some reason. I think the pressure of winning olympic gold, and the hopes of the entire nation, were just too much for her to handle mentally!
    In fairness, in 1992 anyway, she was beaten by three Chinese who were pumped full of drugs (as the Chinese themselves recently admitted)

    Was also beaten by a Russian in 92 who was later banned for drugs, and another who died unexpectedly at 43 (shades of Flo Jo?)

    1996 was weird though. And silver in 2000 was probably respectable at 31.


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  • #181
    Homelander
    Registered Users Posts: 4,338 ✭✭✭Homelander


    YFlyer wrote: »
    How is McGregor the most famous? Roy Keane or Damian Duff would have been watched in practically every country in the world on a weekly basis playing Premier League football.

    Because literally the dogs on the street know who he is.

    I wouldn't argue that he's the best sportsperson Ireland has ever produced, but it would be next level delusion, requiring commitment, to claim that Damian Duff is better known than Conor McGregor. :confused:


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