I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey didn't make it.
He was born in Scotland of Irish parents (mad wikipedia fact - his father shovelled **** for a living). I wouldn't have a problem with people like him (or Phil Lynott or Paul McGrath) being included.
I'll row in behind other criticisms, particularly Gately. No offence to the lad, but anyone who was responsible for him getting onto the final ten should be harmed physically.
I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey didn't make it.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
Good to see 60-70% of the list, particularly Browne and Connolly in 2 and 3.
That question was less stupid, though you asked it in a profoundly stupid way.
Help me, Arthur Murphy, you're my only hope!
Originally Posted by Dodge
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
Went for Geldof myself. The man has really dedicated his life to making the world a better place and has made a difference, though not yet near as much a difference he would like to.
Public polls like this are largely useless but I might as well row in and say that anyone who thinks Stephen Gately should be in that list rather than James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift or Edmund Burke are absolute mentalists. It's a travesty none of the above made the cut by the way. Hell, Graham Linehan is far worthier than any of Ireland's pop exports of the last decade.
Interesting the number of people who put Emmett in- brave and idealistic sure, but also a rather misguided, ill-prepared, over-hasty revolutionary, no?
Not the biggest fan of Geldof, for what it's worth he's getting a bit of a kicking in the UK press at the moment . I'd accept his inclusion on the basis of Live Aid though.
John Hume, Ronnie Drew and Rory Gallagher I have no problems with either, although I see only Hume made the top 10. I'd also happily argue Gay Byrne's case and if (in the interests of TV) we're making the list as inclusive of as many disciplines as possible, George Best and Roy Keane would have to be there. Neither would be near my first choice though. There's a case for Eddie Irvine too, but again, nowhere near the top 10 Irish people of all time.
Last edited by thischarmingman; 09/04/2010 at 2:40 PM.
Ah Osasuran you can do better than that. I don't always agree with his perspective and the Big Breakfast is unforgivable but the guy basically gave up his career to do that which was in his power to do to help. If only half a dozen genuinely powerful political leaders did similar you'd solve a lot of the worlds problems I daresay.
Met him once actually - great guy to chat to. He asks a question and he's genuinely interested in your answer -It's a quality I find rare enough.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
There's no maybe about it TCM. I'm a whingey fecker with it. More credit to him.![]()
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
...or at least expand on that statement a bit. I don't see how either "band" have "done a lot for Ireland" in any sense -least of all musically. Nothing to do with my personal taste either. I gravely doubt many who've been to see Westlife, watched their vids or listened to the recordings they were partially involved in came away from the experience and said "Y'know what ...I must visit Ireland".
As for musically - I can't imagine Boyzone or Westlife would sound much different if they were from Argentina, Indonesia or Indo-China. There's little inherently Irish about them that way either -so no kudos on that front.
I can't even see a minor trickle down in terms of their effect on other Irish-origin purveyors of bland lifeless homogenised pop music to be straight about it.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
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