Greatest Irish Sportsperson of all time

[Closed Account 2]

Gary Doherty's dad ?

[DeLorean]

who is he :confused:

Teddy McCarthy, only player to win a Hurling and Football All Ireland in the same year, 1990.

I wasn't really serious, great achievement though.

[davey]

Gary Doherty's dad ?

Brilliant :D

[weecountyman]

Wayne McCullough - was done out of Olympic Gold and with a broken cheekbone to boot. Won a proper world title in his opponents backyard, defended it against top fighters and beat Naseem Hamed clearly but thanks to sky had to lose. Has proved one of the toughest and most likeable fighters in many years.

Billy Bingham - played in the WC and brought NI twice to the finals, the blow out in Windsor can be excused by the fairweather lowlifes who gloried in a thrashing in Dublin.

Steve Collins, great choice Edmundo, beat the best in his division, world titles at 2 weights, robbed in a world title fight and in an EBU one too. Possibly his post-boxing antics count against him.

Michelle DeBruin deserves her place, she fled Ireland's swimming "culture" and re-invented herself. Her times were still well below her accusers (step forward Janet Evans) and she had the mental strength to achieve.

Sonia O'Sullivan, if only she'd found a mental peace earlier she'd have been massive. At her peak she came up against the best and beat them, and lost out in 2 majors to Ma's Army (regardless of drug allegations they were robotically scary) and to a Romanian who not only failed drugs tests before and after but in her autobiography admitted she'd been doping all along.

Catriona McKiernan, amazing runner cross country and just lost it physically on the track, massive in her first marathon and became famous for, well, being unwell in the middle of it.

Our cyclists were heroes in the 80's, it's hard to think that they could have been doped up and while it's easy to say "Sure they were all at it", I worry for their long term health. Kelly seemed a beast of a different colour though and his idea of a "spin" was to cycle to Dublin, drink a pint of milk and cycle home.

Eamonn Coughlan - Master of the Boards, European Champion, falling short in the Olympics. Talks great sense when on TV.

Brendan Ingle - Ringsend boy, has he produced more Champs than any other irish coach? He's certainly the most innovative coach I've ever met with and has done wonders for Sheffield.

[bennocelt]

Michelle DeBruin deserves her place, she fled Ireland's swimming "culture" and re-invented herself. Her times were still well below her accusers (step forward Janet Evans) and she had the mental strength to achieve.


Agree with most of your post, excellent choices in fact (esp Catriona and Wayne)
But De Bruin must have had the drugs in her for a long time before - I mean you really only have to look at her upper body strength - jesus she had a mans physique

[weecountyman]

Agree with most of your post, excellent choices in fact (esp Catriona and Wayne)
But De Bruin must have had the drugs in her for a long time before - I mean you really only have to look at her upper body strength - jesus she had a mans physique

I agree with her physique, but most swimmers who are in full training get that way, however I think she did use some sort of substances, to get to the top you have to (sick as that is). But I wonder if she started when she went to the US on scholarship or when she went to Holland? Or if what she was using was an early creatine? I was shocked last week when 2 team-mates were there loading up on creatine at training, I guess it must make them better.

[Ronan85]

My vote would go to Delaney followed closely by O'Driscoll. Don't think those involved in horse racing should be on the list as its not a real sport and Keane shouldn't be on it as he's a traiter to the country as evidenced by his comments last week.

[MeathDrog]

My vote would go to Delaney followed closely by O'Driscoll. Don't think those involved in horse racing should be on the list as its not a real sport and Keane shouldn't be on it as he's a traiter to the country as evidenced by his comments last week.
Closely by O'Driscoll? Why?

[old git]

My vote would go to Delaney followed closely by O'Driscoll. Don't think those involved in horse racing should be on the list as its not a real sport and Keane shouldn't be on it as he's a traiter to the country as evidenced by his comments last week.

so greatest sportsperson of all time is only based on sports you like..

would not have o driscoll anywere near it ( media hype ) what about keith woods i am not a big rugby fan but used to love watching him play.. personally i think that people involved in horse racing particulary jockeys do not get enough credit/ praise they do it for very liitle money loads of injurys and yet still come back with desire to win..:p harrington wins golf tournament we all praise his achievment / ireland win triple crown and o driscoll is the best player in the world ( thought it was a 15 man game ) , boxers / gaa players all get great praise and media coverage when they win .. yet a legend like tony mc coy and even ruby walsh seem to only merit mentions on back pages or sports sections..
my vote would be for george best and ronnie delaney

[old git]

If it were a serious list (and the fact that it was promulgated by RTÉ and features gaelic players and horse trainers means it isn't), Kevin O'Flanagan, Bob Lambert and Lucius Gwynn would be there.

George Best shouldn't be on the list at all, of course, but he must have done some pretty extraordinary things when the cameras were absent, because none of the very extensive footage I've seen of him would place him in the top 50% of players today, unlike Liam Brady or Paul McGrath.

on george best you are joking :confused::confused: i hope
brady & mc grath better players an insult to best ... :mad:

[Dodge]

Wayne McCullough - was done out of Olympic Gold

No he wasn't. He was clearly beaten by a terrific Cuban fighter. Absolutely no question about the decision at all



BTW Neil O'Donoghue has a bit of a cult following in the NFL, as he has the worst Field Goal percentage of any player to have tried 100 FGs. Its something like 50%

[bennocelt]

My vote would go to Delaney followed closely by O'Driscoll. Don't think those involved in horse racing should be on the list as its not a real sport and Keane shouldn't be on it as he's a traiter to the country as evidenced by his comments last week.

Thats rubbish, horse racing gives me as much or more pleasure as 90% of those listed sports. Jockeys have to put their lives on the line every time they get on a horse as well.
An Irish winner in Cheltenham is a great sporting sight

And Roy is a hero of mine too. Traitor my hat

[endabob1]

Has the result of this been announced?

[Bluebeard]

I think that jockeys should be nominated moreso than the trainers. To my mind a sportsperson is a person who is actively involved in the doing of the sport, rather than the watch / coaching / commentating. For example, IMO Heffernan should be on the list for his playing days alright, prolly not Micko, who was a better coach but also played.

If you allow trainers and coaches on the basis of their "active involvement in sport", why not journalists who can elevate a game, or TV pundits, or fans? Micheál O'Hehir or Jimmy Magee, sporting legends; Liam Griffin - great sportsperson in that regard; Tom the Gom - watching every League of Ireland game played for the past 35 years - I've met him at Dalymount the same night there'd been confirmed sightings of him at Belfield and Richmond! Surely he'd be eligible too? And without the fans, there would be no sport.

[Ronan85]

Thats rubbish, horse racing gives me as much or more pleasure as 90% of those listed sports. Jockeys have to put their lives on the line every time they get on a horse as well.
An Irish winner in Cheltenham is a great sporting sight

And Roy is a hero of mine too. Traitor my hat

To be fair, the majority of people who watch horse racing do so in bookies. In my opinion, a lot of them are either gamblers or drunks, as opposed to sports fans. Besides, its the horse that are the stars of the show, whereas there's very little to appreciate about jockeys or trainers. Whilst I realise there are Irish winners at Cheltenham, I can never recall any of them and I think for most sports fans, such achievements barely measure on the richter scale.

As for Keane, he was a gutsy performer, but there not a particularly good player technically. Elements of the Irish media (like Dunphy and Curtis) hyped him up no end. In the last year or so, even his most fervent supporters are beginning to see through Keane, particularly after his departure from Sunderland. In my opinion, he's a bottler who lets on to have principles, but is really only a hypocrite. He showed little interest in playing for Ireland so given that this award is for the greatest Irish Sportsman, I don't think he should be in the running.

[bennocelt]

If you allow trainers and coaches on the basis of their "active involvement in sport", why not journalists who can elevate a game, or TV pundits, or fans? Micheál O'Hehir or Jimmy Magee, sporting legends; Liam Griffin - great sportsperson in that regard; Tom the Gom - watching every League of Ireland game played for the past 35 years - I've met him at Dalymount the same night there'd been confirmed sightings of him at Belfield and Richmond! Surely he'd be eligible too? And without the fans, there would be no sport.

To be honest Bluebeard I would have no problem with that:)

[bennocelt]

To be fair, the majority of people who watch horse racing do so in bookies. In my opinion, a lot of them are either gamblers or drunks, as opposed to sports fans. Besides, its the horse that are the stars of the show, whereas there's very little to appreciate about jockeys or trainers. Whilst I realise there are Irish winners at Cheltenham, I can never recall any of them and I think for most sports fans, such achievements barely measure on the richter scale.
.

Could be talking about an awful lot of the Irish football away fans there going by recent outings

But thats your small world - in my world Cheltenham is a major event, so is the Flat season, etc. Its a mans thing, someday when you sip your Starbucks coffee and put down your Irish Times you might understand (to copy your generalisations!:p)

[old git]

[QUOTE=Ronan85;1283389]To be fair, the majority of people who watch horse racing do so in bookies. In my opinion, a lot of them are either gamblers or drunks, as opposed to sports fans. Besides, its the horse that are the stars of the show, whereas there's very little to appreciate about jockeys or trainers. Whilst I realise there are Irish winners at Cheltenham, I can never recall any of them and I think for most sports fans, such achievements barely measure on the richter scale.


will you get a life .. go to any pub during a rugby match / soccer match / gaa match and see plenty of drunks even at the games themselves ... just because you dont follow horse racing you just cant class it as a non sport .. nearly everybody in ireland would have a little bet on the aintree grand national every april .. 50 -60,000 fans attend the chelthenham meeting every year .. yes the horses are stars but you also need jockeys to help try and guide them round safely... aslo going on your reckoning so called superstars of irish rugby / soccer / hurling would not be so good if their teamates did not put in 100% doing the dirty work which makes them look so good .. :mad:

[O'Shea's Boot]

A lot of the Jockeys are awesome - how dedicated must they be to remain so light and fit ......... Christy O'Connor Jnr for that 2 iron in the Rider Cup and on talent alone George Best and Big Pat Jennings

Meant also to mention Steve Collins - dominated the Super Middleweights until Calzaghe came along

[Macy]

That said, I'd vote for Sean Kelly as he was at the very top of his profession for a considerable period of time.

Memory is hazy on this but I think bad luck conspired to rob Kelly of the Tour of Spain one year? I think he had a cyst and had to drop out of the tour. I remember seeing footage of Kelly finally having to give up the ghost on that tour, in absolute agony and in tears as he had to drop out.
Kelly for me too, a grand tour, every one day race worth winning (except the Worlds), numerous shorter stage races, 4 green jerseys. Undoubted world number 1 for (over) a decade - I don't think anyone else can compete with that.

Not sure about him being robbed in the Tour of Spain (most famous robbing was Robert Millar), but I think the footage is either the 85 or 87 Tour de France as billsthoughts says..

[weecountyman]

No he wasn't. He was clearly beaten by a terrific Cuban fighter. Absolutely no question about the decision at all



BTW Neil O'Donoghue has a bit of a cult following in the NFL, as he has the worst Field Goal percentage of any player to have tried 100 FGs. Its something like 50%

Dodge, he was leading clearly through the fight despite horrible refereeing, foul play from the Cuban and it turned only when, after being told to stop boxing, the Cuban cracked Wayne with a sneaky shot (in the second) which did his cheekbone and his eye closed right away. Even still on the punch count he led but inexplicably lost overall. Not surprisingly 2 of the judges and the referee were suspended right away by the AIBA and never were allowed on international panels again!

However Casamayor was a terrific fighter (both amateur and pro) but still didn't deserve to beat him.

[bennocelt]

Dodge, he was leading clearly through the fight despite horrible refereeing, foul play from the Cuban and it turned only when, after being told to stop boxing, the Cuban cracked Wayne with a sneaky shot (in the second) which did his cheekbone and his eye closed right away. Even still on the punch count he led but inexplicably lost overall. Not surprisingly 2 of the judges and the referee were suspended right away by the AIBA and never were allowed on international panels again!

However Casamayor was a terrific fighter (both amateur and pro) but still didn't deserve to beat him.

That's funny as I dont remember this as well, I thought at the time that McCullough boxed very well, with the broken cheekbone and all, but that the better boxer won in the end

[Dodge]

McCullough ed on punches thrown, but not in ounches landed. That was his style though

He was clearly behind, and lost to a better fighter. No shame in that, but no point in trying to add extra hype to it

[Ronan85]

will you get a life .. go to any pub during a rugby match / soccer match / gaa match and see plenty of drunks even at the games themselves ... just because you dont follow horse racing you just cant class it as a non sport .. nearly everybody in ireland would have a little bet on the aintree grand national every april .. 50 -60,000 fans attend the chelthenham meeting every year .. yes the horses are stars but you also need jockeys to help try and guide them round safely... aslo going on your reckoning so called superstars of irish rugby / soccer / hurling would not be so good if their teamates did not put in 100% doing the dirty work which makes them look so good .. :mad:

If horse racing is such a great sport and the Aintree Grand National is such a big event, why do those people (who you refer to as "nearly everybody in Ireland" :o) need to have "a little bet" to enjoy the sport? In most other sports, people are happy just to spectate. Horse racing is more of an industry than a sport. The difference between horse racing and sports such as rugby / soccer / hurling is that those team sports involve athletes playing with skill and putting their bodies on the line, whereas jockeys are passengers on an animal for the benefit of an audience that is primarily comprised of gamblers, snobs, and political hacks (the Galway Races being a case in point).

The day our greatest sports person comes from the horse racing industry will be a sad day for Irish sport.

[Ronan85]

Kelly for me too, a grand tour, every one day race worth winning (except the Worlds), numerous shorter stage races, 4 green jerseys. Undoubted world number 1 for (over) a decade - I don't think anyone else can compete with that.

Not sure about him being robbed in the Tour of Spain (most famous robbing was Robert Millar), but I think the footage is either the 85 or 87 Tour de France as billsthoughts says..

I thought it had been well established at this stage that Kelly was doping. Didn't he fail a drug test in the '80s? In my opinion, there's nothing to admire about someone who stayed at the top through the use of drugs.

[weecountyman]

McCullough ed on punches thrown, but not in ounches landed. That was his style though

He was clearly behind, and lost to a better fighter. No shame in that, but no point in trying to add extra hype to it

Dodge, he won on punches landed - the countback showed he won by 14 punches yet he ended up losing by half a dozen, which does happen sometimes, however the two judges who cost him the fight landed only 1 scoring punch (ie with .2secs of the other judges) between them. In fact when the computer read outs were analysed (by a Spanish investigative reporter) it showed that on the fights involving the 2 judges there were "serious anomalies" that favoured Cuban fighters. He won the first round easily by bullying and scoring 5 clear headshots and taking no shots himself, yet lost 4-1. As with the later Hamed fight, he won overall but lost the decision.

[MeathDrog]

10. Paul McGrath
9. Vincent O Brien

[Schumi]

Just turned it on. Joey Dunlop third, BOD second.

[MeathDrog]

Bit of a farce that O Driscol got 2nd.

Brilliant year so I suppose he is fresh in the mind.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Who did they give number 1 to?

[sligobhoy67]

Well he was born in britain?

he wasnt born in Britain! Do you require a simple geography lesson?

Something tells me you dont understand the difference between ethnicity, nationality and citizenship.

[sligobhoy67]

Here are some people who have probably slipped under the radar so far:

Neil O'Donoghue, played NFL and football for Drumcondra, Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne.

Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey superb boxer in the late 1800s never really reached his peak as he died of TB aged 33.

Marty Conlon, great Basketball player with the LA clippers or Pat Burke, only Irish born player to have played in the NBA for the Magic 6 or so years ago.

Ger McDonnell, first Irishman to climb to the top of K2 (commonly acknowledged as the hardest mountain in the world to climb) tragically he died on the descent when a shaft of ice fell in an avalaunche cutting the ropes.

Barry McGuigan, Brendan Ingle, or Katie Taylor - she represented Ireland at football and boxing (was world champion last year).

But for me, the answer is Steve Collins:

Total fights 39
Wins 36
Wins by KO 21
Losses 3
Draws 0
No contests 0

A superb fighter.

I never saw the shortlist - were are boxers on it?

All the boxers you have listed were quality but you havent mentioned Ireland's two best boxers.

Rinty Monaghan and the best of all Jimmy McLarnin.

[DmanDmythDledge]

* Vincent O'Brien and Aidan O'Brien, whilst towering figures in their sport,(the former in particular), are not 'sportsmen', in the proper sense.


I think that jockeys should be nominated moreso than the trainers. To my mind a sportsperson is a person who is actively involved in the doing of the sport, rather than the watch / coaching / commentating. For example, IMO Heffernan should be on the list for his playing days alright, prolly not Micko, who was a better coach but also played.

If you allow trainers and coaches on the basis of their "active involvement in sport", why not journalists who can elevate a game, or TV pundits, or fans? Micheál O'Hehir or Jimmy Magee, sporting legends; Liam Griffin - great sportsperson in that regard; Tom the Gom - watching every League of Ireland game played for the past 35 years - I've met him at Dalymount the same night there'd been confirmed sightings of him at Belfield and Richmond! Surely he'd be eligible too? And without the fans, there would be no sport.
Trainers have much more of an influence than jockeys.

"Active involvement in sport"? Would you give the same title to Alex Ferguson, Declan Kidney etc?


Explain to me how Pat Jennings, for example, is British?
Is Mike Gibson not Irish? Is Jack Kyle not Irish? etc.....

Each one is as worthy of a place on this list as any of the other nominess.
Pat Jennings represented a different country, whereas Gibson and Kyle were playing for the rugby team that represents Ireland.

[sligobhoy67]

A lot of the Jockeys are awesome - how dedicated must they be to remain so light and fit ......... Christy O'Connor Jnr for that 2 iron in the Rider Cup and on talent alone George Best and Big Pat Jennings

Meant also to mention Steve Collins - dominated the Super Middleweights until Calzaghe came along

I think Mike McCallum might have had something to say about that!

[The Fly]

Pat Jennings represented a different country, whereas Gibson and Kyle were playing for the rugby team that represents Ireland.

Err..........but George Best came fourth in the list.

[sligobhoy67]

Err..........but George Best came fourth in the list.


behind Jennings, Gibson and Kyle??

[Ronan85]

Bit of a farce that O Driscol got 2nd.

Brilliant year so I suppose he is fresh in the mind.


You obviously haven't been watching any rugby for the past decade. O'Driscoll has been the single most influencial factor in the growth and popularity of the sport in Ireland. His success this year is merely the crowning glory on what's been a great career. A legend of Irish sport and his 2nd place on the list is well deserved.

[pineapple stu]

Who did they give number 1 to?
Harrington. (http://www.munsterfans.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23236&PN=0&TPN=1)

[bennocelt]

he wasnt born in Britain! Do you require a simple geography lesson?

Something tells me you dont understand the difference between ethnicity, nationality and citizenship.

Sorry my mistake, the Uk:)

[old git]

You obviously haven't been watching any rugby for the past decade. O'Driscoll has been the single most influencial factor in the growth and popularity of the sport in Ireland. His success this year is merely the crowning glory on what's been a great career. A legend of Irish sport and his 2nd place on the list is well deserved.

disagree :mad: munster rugby in particular and irish national team have been more influencial in the growth of irish rugby in the past decade and lets be honest it was munster rugby that really kick started the intrest / new fans to promote rugby . o'driscoll is a great player but he has been carried forward due to rugby's recent success and popularity which owes alot to other teams /players putting in the hard work over the last decade when rugby was not so popular :p

[old git]

If horse racing is such a great sport and the Aintree Grand National is such a big event, why do those people (who you refer to as "nearly everybody in Ireland" :o) need to have "a little bet" to enjoy the sport? In most other sports, people are happy just to spectate. Horse racing is more of an industry than a sport. The difference between horse racing and sports such as rugby / soccer / hurling is that those team sports involve athletes playing with skill and putting their bodies on the line, whereas jockeys are passengers on an animal for the benefit of an audience that is primarily comprised of gamblers, snobs, and political hacks (the Galway Races being a case in point).

The day our greatest sports person comes from the horse racing industry will be a sad day for Irish sport.

apologies i take it all back ... sorry to insult all ye decent / common people who follow soccer / rugby / gaa... :confused: so lets look soccer / rugby / gaa no gamblers, snobs , political hacks , ah yes that is so funny the gaa rife with politics and politicians fighting to attend all-irelands and a sport that threatens to ban players if they play soccer !!!.. next the wonderfull rugby the most snobbish of sports going and as for soccer full of gamblers ,posers ,etc and politicians will jump on any bandwagon to promote themselves ... :mad: any irish sportsperson who promotes or achives success at any sport deserves credit and is entitled to our praise .

[OwlsFan]

Bennocelt - you seem to be mixing up Irishsports person with Irishcitizensports person. The vote was for the former category. The people in the 6 counties are both Irish and are from the UK. The two are not mutally exclusive.

Harrington won which I suppose was deserved. Joey Dunlop was one of the big surprises for me as I don't follow motorcycling. He came in No. 3 which apparently was the number on his bike.

There was an interesting comment about Roy Keane. If there was a vote for the most unpopular Irish sportsperson, he'd also be in the top 5!

Interesting programme.

[bennocelt]

If we are including people from up north then surely Best would have to be would have to be number one?
Good to see Joey Dunlop in the top ten - he was a legend

[weecountyman]

Through all the debate and obscure offerings not one person has mentioned one of THE most successful Irish exports of all time and a man who was so desperate to have an Irish team in the Winter Olympics that he offered $1million (US) a year to the Irish Government (Sports) to set up a scouting and development programme for his sport. It was to run for 10 years by which time it was expected to have not only a home grown league in operation, but an Irish team in the top level of the sport.

Owen Nolan moved from Belfast when he was less than a year old and grew up in Canada. He won an Olympic Gold for his adopted country in 2002 and in a 2007 interview with Hockey Illustrated said that his single biggest regret was that he never got to play for Ireland and lead an Irish team to a World, European or Olympic medal.

I had the pleasure of meeting again with Owen in 2004 during the NHL lockout and we spoke about how things might have been. He, along with a number of Irish Canadians, approached the Irish government in the late 90's about investing in the sport in Ireland. Eircom Park was of massive interest to them as was the independent development of a multi-function sports "arena" just outside Dublin, actually I think it was in Kildare. They actually went so far as to speak with the UK Ice Hockey chiefs about a franchise and had a hand on it, until suddenly Bertie did an about face, costing them quite a bit of money in deposits, and both Eircom Park and the Weston Arena went belly up.

Nolan isn't the greatest player ever to have strapped on skates, but even at 37 is feared and respected in the game. He's played over 1,000 NHL games and was considered the unluckiest player ever (having gone first in the draft to Quebec) to be traded from the new club, Colorado, the year they went and won the Stanley Cup!

Then again, there are some who'll say he isn't Irish as he was born in the 6 counties, and others who'll say he's Canadian.

[SkStu]

Owen Nolan is one of the most famous Irish-Canadians over here - when people find out im irish they generally mention Nolan. Ive seen him on tv since and hes a good player, tough as sh!t. I had never heard of him before nor his efforts in getting an Irish team to the winter olympics but to be honest, greatest Irish sportsperson? I dont think so.

[Bluebeard]

Through all the debate and obscure offerings not one person has mentioned one of THE most successful Irish exports of all time and a man who was so desperate to have an Irish team in the Winter Olympics that he offered $1million (US) a year to the Irish Government (Sports) to set up a scouting and development programme for his sport. It was to run for 10 years by which time it was expected to have not only a home grown league in operation, but an Irish team in the top level of the sport.

Owen Nolan moved from Belfast when he was less than a year old and grew up in Canada. He won an Olympic Gold for his adopted country in 2002 and in a 2007 interview with Hockey Illustrated said that his single biggest regret was that he never got to play for Ireland and lead an Irish team to a World, European or Olympic medal.

I had the pleasure of meeting again with Owen in 2004 during the NHL lockout and we spoke about how things might have been. He, along with a number of Irish Canadians, approached the Irish government in the late 90's about investing in the sport in Ireland. Eircom Park was of massive interest to them as was the independent development of a multi-function sports "arena" just outside Dublin, actually I think it was in Kildare. They actually went so far as to speak with the UK Ice Hockey chiefs about a franchise and had a hand on it, until suddenly Bertie did an about face, costing them quite a bit of money in deposits, and both Eircom Park and the Weston Arena went belly up.

Nolan isn't the greatest player ever to have strapped on skates, but even at 37 is feared and respected in the game. He's played over 1,000 NHL games and was considered the unluckiest player ever (having gone first in the draft to Quebec) to be traded from the new club, Colorado, the year they went and won the Stanley Cup!

Then again, there are some who'll say he isn't Irish as he was born in the 6 counties, and others who'll say he's Canadian.

Thanks, that was really interesting. I know Belfast had an ice hockey team (the Giants?). Was there not a putative team in Dublin (or two)? I think I recall one based at the old ice rink in Phibsboro (a Des Kelly showroom the last time I was by it).

[weecountyman]

SkStu, he's one of the most feared players in the league and never met a fight he didn't like. He wasn't an enforcer, but was a tough as nails goalscorer who actually had more ability than he used. He might not be the greatest Irish sportsperson, but he deserves to be in the top 10. He won an Olympic gold, excelled at a sport that has global appeal and in which he was a late starter, and has had longevity and success.

Bluebeard, there used to be a half decent league in Ireland (there is again with Dundalk the epicentre) and some quite good players played here. Dundonald, Dolphins Barn and Phibsboro were the main spots, Phibsboro being the last one open, and no fewer than 4 Olympic Gold medallists (ex-USSR) suited up for Dublin teams. The lads were well into their 30's but were living in Dublin in the mid-late 90's. One of them, a Belarussian, coached one side and saw a great chance for Ireland to develop, but Belfast stole the thunder for ice hockey and forced the league and teams out of existence (then).

I always wondered what would have happened had the Irish government embraced a couple of big US/Global sports to give Ireland a greater chance of sporting success, and allow a few dollars roll in. I know that a full Irish team (from Irish-born to Irish grandparents) could have been fielded with only NHL players (well, a couple of minor leaguers to make up the panel) that would have given anyone a run for their money. Players like Brendan Shanahan (Irish parents and one of the all-time greats, Olympic Gold, Stanley Cups etc), Paul Coffey (Hall of Famer), JP Murphy (no.1 draft pick) and Jim Carey (top keeper).

[SilkCut]

so greatest sportsperson of all time is only based on sports you like..

would not have o driscoll anywere near it ( media hype ) what about keith woods i am not a big rugby fan but used to love watching him play.. personally i think that people involved in horse racing particulary jockeys do not get enough credit/ praise they do it for very liitle money loads of injurys and yet still come back with desire to win..:p harrington wins golf tournament we all praise his achievment / ireland win triple crown and o driscoll is the best player in the world ( thought it was a 15 man game ) , boxers / gaa players all get great praise and media coverage when they win .. yet a legend like tony mc coy and even ruby walsh seem to only merit mentions on back pages or sports sections..
my vote would be for george best and ronnie delaney


disagree :mad: munster rugby in particular and irish national team have been more influencial in the growth of irish rugby in the past decade and lets be honest it was munster rugby that really kick started the intrest / new fans to promote rugby . o'driscoll is a great player but he has been carried forward due to rugby's recent success and popularity which owes alot to other teams /players putting in the hard work over the last decade when rugby was not so popular :p

I know this vote is over, but I read the thread just to see some opinions on it. Most of which have been intelligent (barring the UK, Irish stuff) but Old Git are you being serious? Brian O'Driscoll is widely rated as one of the best players not only in the world now but as one of the greatest players ever to play the game. To suggest it is media hype is just daft, he, and to a lesser extent, Johnny Wilkinson are the only players from the northern hemisphere that the All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks would openly admit to wanting on their sides, the emergence of Dan Carter and decline of Wilkinson has lessened their appreciation of the Englishman. O'Driscoll continues to perform at the very highest level and is still the player opposition fear and admire most. I agree Keith wood was fantastic, I also agree that Rugby is a team sport but when O'Driscoll emerged we were a very ordinary side, he inspired confidence in the players around him, Hickey (who had an awful start to his career) Horgan O'Gara and Stringer all blossomed because they knew O'Driscoll was in the same backline as them not to mention the turnaround in Rob Henderson. Wood's only fault was that he tried to do it all himself, he did not inspire the same confidence in those around him as O'Driscoll does, thats why Wood never won a Heineken Cup or a Grand slam, he was a good player and a good leader. O'Driscoll is a great player and a great leader media or no media. This is one of those rare occasions where I will say the player carried the team forward, not the other way around. Leinster have been average for years, O'Driscoll is the inspiration for their brilliant young players Sexton, Fitzgerald and Carney, all will admit that, without O'Driscoll to idolise they would probably be playing other sports. O'Driscoll is the reason coaches and players want to go to Leinster, they know once they have him in the side, anything is possible.He is the player that has been putting in the hard yards while rugby was unpopular. Players are attracted to Munster because of Thomond Park, the history of the club and its fantastic success, their marquee players don't have a patch on O'Driscoll (BTW I say all this as a munster fan) In fact O'Driscoll is such an important figure that the new Melbourne super 16 Francise is belived to be prepared to offer him $1m for one season after the word cup in 2011 when he will be 33 and coming to the end of his career. I know you said you are not a big rugby fan but surely you can't really believe he is all hype?
He deserved 2nd only because rugby is not as globally popular as golf.

[Bluebeard]

I know this vote is over...
If there is one thing I have learned from foot.ie, it is that nothing is ever "over" for everyone. No vote, no game, no competition, no season, no career, is ever over. And no thread is ever EVER over.

Unless it is about the Clare Junior League, which is of course a different matter...

[old git]

If there is one thing I have learned from foot.ie, it is that nothing is ever "over" for everyone. No vote, no game, no competition, no season, no career, is ever over. And no thread is ever EVER over.

Unless it is about the Clare Junior League, which is of course a different matter...

the clare junior league thread will never finish :D