Time for a controversial one...Eddie Irvine. Irelands greatest motor racing driver ever. Took no crap from anyone, nearly won the title (in Schumachers absence) but for a messed up pit-stop, but yet people think of him as the laughing stock 'mad Irishman' driver who was only after the best party.
Best Irish sporting achiever EVER
- Thread starter Duke of Marmalade
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Probably true, but on the world stage, merely an average journeyman.
Ah come on. That's not how drug abuse works and if you're going comment on something you should at least know that much.
Ya I'm sure and I don't believe that Irwin spent much time on the bench hence the 'Mr Consistency' title. Irwin was a 1st teamer in his time at united and squads were bigger c.24 players but not everyone got medals unfortunately. Irwin also did it in a time where fitness levels were much higher quality improved also, media exposure ensured more travel and games and last but not least he is 100% Irish.
Duke of Marmalade
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These multiple swimming medals happen too often for my liking. It's not like Carl Lewis winning multiple golds at diverse events.
Swimming - Michelle deBrun (despite spin-doctors, innuendo and begrudgers, she still holds her Olympic medals)
Cycling - Sean Kelly
Athletics - Sonia O'Sullivan / John Tracey / Ronnie Delaney
Field - Pat O'Callaghan
Boxing - Katie Taylor (World Boxing Champion x 2, Irish Soccer International), Wayne McCullough (the bravest performance I've ever witnessed in the amateur game in the the last round of the Olympic final), Michael Carruth, Freddie Teith
Handball - Michael "Ducksie" Walsh
Motor-sport - Paddy Hopkirk / Billy Coleman / Joey Dunlop
Soccer - Roy Keane / George Best
Golf - Podge Harrington (by a country mile)
Rugby - Michael Cameron Gibson (majestic comes to mind, thanks Mike)
GAA - Mick O'Connell (Kerry for the youngsters among you)
GAA - Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)
That'll put the cat among the pigeons
Cycling - Sean Kelly
Athletics - Sonia O'Sullivan / John Tracey / Ronnie Delaney
Field - Pat O'Callaghan
Boxing - Katie Taylor (World Boxing Champion x 2, Irish Soccer International), Wayne McCullough (the bravest performance I've ever witnessed in the amateur game in the the last round of the Olympic final), Michael Carruth, Freddie Teith
Handball - Michael "Ducksie" Walsh
Motor-sport - Paddy Hopkirk / Billy Coleman / Joey Dunlop
Soccer - Roy Keane / George Best
Golf - Podge Harrington (by a country mile)
Rugby - Michael Cameron Gibson (majestic comes to mind, thanks Mike)
GAA - Mick O'Connell (Kerry for the youngsters among you)
GAA - Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)
That'll put the cat among the pigeons
The list is in support of the sentiment expressed in your earlier post -
Had you forgotten?
The list is in support of the sentiment expressed in your earlier post -
Had you forgotten?
Oh right. Sorry. I fully agree with you. Thought you were cheating at the game whcih isn't fair even if it is an impossible and pointless exercise!!
I agree with a few. Certainly not Michelle Smyth/de Bruin but thats another days argument! Eoin kelly is a surprise for the hurling I have to say.
FredBloggs
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I was an avid fan of Sean Kelly and Stephen roche when they cycled but you have to wonder about their achievements. Drug cheats have been shown to be very prominent in the tour in recent years and only now is the tour getting itself in order. When Kelly and Roche were at their prime Paul Kimmage complained about the cheats in the sport and was not exactly popular with his fellow cyclists including Stephen Roche who said he was talking nonsense. But time has proven Kimmage right.
Of course Kelly and roche never tested positive so we have to give them the benefit of the doubt.
BTW do you remember one of the tours when Kellys team were doing really well in all the tour categories (I think he was riding for Panasonic) when the team suddenly all had to withdraw with a bad case of "food poisioning"?
Of course Kelly and roche never tested positive so we have to give them the benefit of the doubt.
BTW do you remember one of the tours when Kellys team were doing really well in all the tour categories (I think he was riding for Panasonic) when the team suddenly all had to withdraw with a bad case of "food poisioning"?
Duke of Marmalade
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I feel the question needs clarifying.
"On the World sports stage which Irish person has achieved the greatest success?"
AOB is the only person who can claim to be at the absolute summit of his sport on this planet, and by a country mile. All the others mentioned in this thread have done well relative to other Irish people but would not be World Best, except maybe the GAA-GAAs but surely they don't count.
"On the World sports stage which Irish person has achieved the greatest success?"
AOB is the only person who can claim to be at the absolute summit of his sport on this planet, and by a country mile. All the others mentioned in this thread have done well relative to other Irish people but would not be World Best, except maybe the GAA-GAAs but surely they don't count.
R
rmelly
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This is the second olympics where he has won 5 or more gold medals - in swimming terms they would be considered diverse events, many of the competitors are different and even if they aren't diverse it shouldn't in any way take away from the achievement - Michael Johnson 'only' ran, Michael Schumacher 'only' drove an F1 car, Michael Jordan 'only' played basketball well - all are considered sporting greats in a seperate league to anything Ireland has ever produced.
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z105
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My vote is for Padraig Harrington
The thing is Aidan O'Brien needs good horses and good jockeys to be where he is. So its a combination of all three with him. So credit must go to his jockeys and horses also. Its hard to put that against say Padraig Harrington, John Treacy etc., who have to get out there and do it themselves.
Based on that logic Butch Harmon is the greatest American sports success, as his stable includes Tiger Woods (early in career), Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els, to name the biggest winners!!! A trainer who has no control in the actual event and no where near as much control as the horse or the jockey could never be considered an achiever of a win in his own right.
To answer the simple question, I believe Harrington is by far our greatest sporting success.
To be the best GAA player in Irish history still only means you are the best in a country of 4.5m people. To be a success at a global game puts you head and shoulders above billions... Therefore only international athletes could be our greatest sportsperson.
To be fair in this assesment I think the popularity and participation in a sport is a big factor in it's value. There is no way I could agree with anyone who says a synchronised swimming Olympic medal is comparable with a 100m sprint medal!
Golf is a massivley popular sport - worldwide and thus any victory at a major is comparable with a "big particpation" Olympic medal or World Cup soccer medal. Harrington I believe hit the same bracket as John Tracey, Ronnie Delaney etc. with his first major. To defend his British Open and then win back to back majors puts him in the bracket of a 200m/400m Olympic sprint double in the same Olympics. No Irish athlete has ever gone to that level before.
I exclude Stephen Roche and Michelle Smyth for obvious reasons..
R
rmelly
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Nah - you can't put lost titles down to a single event like a pit stop, all contenders suffer problems during the season - whether it happens in the first or last race ultimately has the same effect (e.g. Hakkinen in Monza). Irvine had plenty of luck that season, not least Schumachers accident. He was uncompetitive too many times including being outperformed by 'journeyman' Salo on occasion (e.g. Monza & Hockenheim), as well as requiring a resurrecting helping hand from Schumacher in Malaysia.
He had a task to do on in the final race of the season and he dropped the ball all weekend. He qualified fifth and finished 95 seconds down on Hakkinen (and 90 down on Schumacher) - a lifetime in F1, regardless of what he may have lost in a pitstop.
ubiquitous
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