Ireland's greatest player poll.

**TheOwl** · 26/10/2006, 1:00 PM

The boss in work has just put a poll up on "Who is the Greatest Republic of Ireland player of all-time?" and the sneaky Europeans all seem to think Keane by a landslide! Come on lads let's balance it out a bit!!

http://www.eurosport.com/

**EalingGreen** · 26/10/2006, 4:59 PM

Regardless of who wins, at least your Boss managed to get the Title correct, which is more than we can say for you!

(Unless, of course, you really do mean "Ireland's Greatest Player", in which case it is a tough call. Obviously Geordie B is First, but I can't decide who should finish Second out of Blanchflower, Doherty or Jennings...

)

**Ceirtlis** · 26/10/2006, 5:14 PM

The official name of the country to which you refer is Ireland its on my passport. It is sometimes called the republic of ireland to decifer it from northern ireland. All fai branded gear has ireland on it.

**eirebhoy** · 26/10/2006, 6:32 PM

EalingGreen - Nobody from the south of Ireland uses the term "Republic of Ireland" so you better get used to it reading this forum.

**SUB of the day** · 26/10/2006, 7:26 PM

...from the Peoples Republic, one winner , one game, one God.There's only one KEANO!

**Not Brazil** · 26/10/2006, 7:42 PM

Originally Posted by Ceirtlis

The official name of the country to which you refer is Ireland its on my passport. It is sometimes called the republic of ireland to decifer it from northern ireland. All fai branded gear has ireland on it.

What do FIFA call it?

PS: Pat Jennings, ahead of Georgie in second.

Giles and Brady weren't bad players either.

**TheOwl** · 26/10/2006, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Regardless of who wins, at least your Boss managed to get the Title correct, which is more than we can say for you!

(Unless, of course, you really do mean "Ireland's Greatest Player", in which case it is a tough call. Obviously Geordie B is First, but I can't decide who should finish Second out of Blanchflower, Doherty or Jennings...

)

I'm a Dubliner - I call it Ireland

He is a Englishman so he calls it the Republic of Ireland.

There are wars fought over this kind of thing and that's just in our office

Could be worse it could have been "who is Eire's greatest ever player?"

**crc** · 26/10/2006, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

EalingGreen - Nobody from the south of Ireland uses the term "Republic of Ireland" so you better get used to it reading this forum.

I do, and I'm from the south (don't let the Derry badge fool you, almost all my family is from Limerick/Kerry/Cork and I have spent at least half of my life in the south).

I use 'Republic of Ireland' specifically in these contexts to distinguish it from the larger entity 'Ireland'. I like to reserve the term 'Ireland' when I mean to refer to the whole island, otherwise you get people thinking Ireland stops at the border, or such phrases as "Cork is Ireland's second largest city" (sic). When I was driving to Dublin from a game at the Brandywell, in or around Omagh I had an Australian friend ask "when are we going to be in Ireland?" This is clearly not the intended consequence of the constitution, its author(s), or anyone who proports to give it their allegiance.

**Fergie's Son** · 26/10/2006, 11:16 PM

The answer is....it depends.

On the basis of pure talent then there really isn't anyone near Best.

In terms of contributions then I would have to go with either Roy Keane or Paul McGrath. McGrath had one world cup and one European Championships and was magnificent in both. Keane had...well one world cup but basically dragged us to another.

**cheifo** · 26/10/2006, 11:53 PM

"Irelands" greatest has to be Bestie.My favourite for us was Brady closely followed by Eddie McGoldrick.

**theworm2345** · 27/10/2006, 12:05 AM

David Connolly, hands down

just kidding (maybe not)
I think probably Brady or Giles, In the past few years probably one of the Keanes or Given

**Billsthoughts** · 27/10/2006, 7:32 AM

deffo keane....

**Dr. Ogba** · 27/10/2006, 8:16 AM

Originally Posted by cheifo

"Irelands" greatest has to be Bestie.My favourite for us was Brady closely followed by Eddie McGoldrick.

What about Alan Kernaghan?

**gspain** · 27/10/2006, 8:16 AM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Regardless of who wins, at least your Boss managed to get the Title correct, which is more than we can say for you!

(Unless, of course, you really do mean "Ireland's Greatest Player", in which case it is a tough call. Obviously Geordie B is First, but I can't decide who should finish Second out of Blanchflower, Doherty or Jennings...

)

Your fellow NI fans voted Pat Jennings first and Geordie Best 2nd when voting on NI's greatest ever player.

Paul McGrath would be my choice. Roy Keane will clearly win though because his performances were more recent and mor ein people's minds. It is a tough call.

**Pauro 76** · 27/10/2006, 9:23 AM

Paul McGrath.....followed by Roy Keane. and then Bernie Slaven.

**EalingGreen** · 27/10/2006, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by TheOwl

I'm a Dubliner - I call it Ireland

He is a Englishman so he calls it the Republic of Ireland.

There are wars fought over this kind of thing and that's just in our office

Could be worse it could have been "who is Eire's greatest ever player?"

When referring to footballing matters, I call the two teams by their official FIFA designations:

http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/...ountrycode=NIR

http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/...ountrycode=IRL

"Country Code" above notwithstanding (!), these titles are mandatory on all official publications, including Match Programmes.

Additionally, I find that "NI" and "ROI" are by far the simplest and quickest way of typing the two names and I can only assume that those who go to the trouble to type "Ireland" and "the North" (or 'six counties' etc) are trying to prove a political point, rather than a footballing one. Oh well.

Btw, despite my handle, I'm not English, I'm a proud Irishman - a proud Northern Irishman, to be precise (and watching the rugby last weekend, I was an equally proud Ulsterman, as I will continue to be when we play London Irish next month!)

**EalingGreen** · 27/10/2006, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

EalingGreen - Nobody from the south of Ireland uses the term "Republic of Ireland" so you better get used to it reading this forum.

That may well be true; then again, I'm not from the "south of Ireland". Therefore, unless you are going to censor or exclude me for using what is, after all, the official FIFA nomenclature, then you'd better get used to reading "ROI" and "NI" from time to time on this forum!

Btw, any Donegal-based posters out there? If so, are you from the "south of Ireland", the "north of Ireland", "Ulster", "Ireland", "the Irish Republic" or "the Republic of Ireland"?
(Joke, btw)

**antrimgreen** · 27/10/2006, 10:48 AM

Class joke Ealing Green, Donegal = Ulster (9 counties), North of Ireland.

**geysir** · 27/10/2006, 10:51 AM

Not Brazil's choice of Jennings over Georgie is interesting. I can see why, if you also take in a mandatory criteria of performances for the national team.
There was a tv debate in the late '70s on who was better, Best or Keegan?
Pat Jennings spoke in Georgie's favour, with not just a hint of incredulity that this topic was even up for debate. The audience voted for Keegan. aargh.
I never saw Charlie Hurley play. I'd say most who saw Giles play would pick him. I supose I would, just for his all round perfection. He'd be the player I'd pick first in the team and work from there with picking the rest.