Best Ever Irish Sportsman ...

Feel free to nominate - as many as you like. Sportsmen only please - this is a serious thread ...

I'll start the ball rolling with Bod Almighty ... enjoy the magic ....

The inimitable .....

the greatest

Watch a true champion in action.

Maybe not the overall winner, but this gem (selected from 63 other classic moments) warrants a nomination at the very least....G'wan Carey boy!!!!!

Given that this is "for serious contenders only" I've selected a few of the greatest moments of Zinedine Kilbane's long and getting longer career.....
What a guy, forget Maldini and Roberto Carlos, this man has everything....Good 'ol Killer.....a top bloke to boot..

Jonsmith wrote:

Watch a true champion in action.

The Seanie Johnstone clip failed to lift off there Smithy.......pay your bill soon lad ....

As all round sportsman it has to be Steve Casey.
Best of the rest, Christy Ring and Mick O'Connell
Best international sports persons. Paul McGrath,Sonia O'Sullivan.

Roy Keane? Jaysus lads, some of you mustn't get out much.

If we are talking international sport, then the answer is in the first word of the title of this thread....

I had actually forgotten how good he was. As it says, LEGEND

I genuinely feel sorry for people who grew up thinking Roy Keane was a good footballer, probably wouldn't make Ireland's Top 50 of all time.

Cruff, Platini, Zico, Zidane, two Ronaldos, Messi, eat your heart out. The ONLY players ever in George's league are Maradona and Pele.

George was possibly approaching Ferenc Puskas level in his good days at Manchester Utd.....note approaching..

Is there any video footage of Best's nutmeg on Cruyff?

On the Keane issue comparing him to Best and Co. would be like comparing Bellew to Cooper. Still though he was very good at what he was there to do..

O'Driscoll is to rugby what Best was to soccer - and more. Longevity, consistently world class and a game breaker. I loved Georgie and I loved Keane too - totally different players but both irreplaceable.

Some good nominations here - keep them coming. Now I gotta go and get some youtube stuff on Whelo ....

I'd like to nominate Robbie Keane. Ireland's top goalscorer by some margain.

clash-of-da-ash wrote:I'd like to nominate Robbie Keane. Ireland's top goalscorer by some margain.

Up there with Giles, McGrath and Brady alright...


Anyone who thinks that plodder who dressed up a leaprachan is our finest player would want to cop on....

The Puke wrote:

clash-of-da-ash wrote:I'd like to nominate Robbie Keane. Ireland's top goalscorer by some margain.

Up there with Giles, McGrath and Brady alright...


Anyone who thinks that plodder who dressed up a leaprachan is our finest player would want to cop on....

As Keanes go .......... indeed as R Keane's go - there is a country mile between the two. I would go for the guy who made the tackle in the box as distinct from the guy who dived and tried to buy the peno ....

There was an article in The Star ( ) back before the French game last year by either Curtis or Dolan, a long piece on how bad Robbie Keane was and how he never scored big goals for Ireland. I had to wonder if the man had ever watched an Ireland game? A big head and a dodgy celebration but he has consistently provided for Ireland where others could not.. We have nobody near his caliber to replace him. Doyle is like Tevez was at United, loved for his commitment and work rate but no end product.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:O'Driscoll is to rugby what Best was to soccer - and more.

Jayo, O'Driscoll has been a very fine rugby union player, but rugby union is a sport played seriously by 2 countries in the world, both of which have populations less than 5m. It is dabbled at in a handful of other countries, including 3 which are fairly large. I'll admit that, given the disproportionate amount of media coverage that it receives, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

George Best was among the top 10-12 soccer players who ever lived. I've seen John Giles mentioned here, but John himself would be embarrassed if he heard people suggesting that he was better than Best. When Best died, Giles said that he was the finest he had seen, saying that Pele couldn't do the things that George could. He admitted that Cryuff could, but added that Georgie had more heart than Cryuff.

If this is a serious thread, it should be retitled '2nd best Irish sportsman ever'. The No.1 spot is beyond debate.

so to be the best sportsman you need to play the most "popular" game/sport.
That TC is a lame argument.
Regardless of the sport, size, creed etc what the title is looking for is the best we have produced.
Choosing Best are we saying ya is ok to self implode and fcuk up your family in the process.
I never saw him play but all I have heard is about the damage he caused to his family afterwards through his excessive indulgences.
A sports person is some one who excels at there given field and are a role model as well.
Best might of been a goodish soccer player but he was no role model.

JimWexford wrote:so to be the best sportsman you need to play the most "popular" game/sport.
That TC is a lame argument.
Regardless of the sport, size, creed etc what the title is looking for is the best we have produced.
Choosing Best are we saying ya is ok to self implode and fcuk up your family in the process.
I never saw him play but all I have heard is about the damage he caused to his family afterwards through his excessive indulgences.
A sports person is some one who excels at there given field and are a role model as well.
Best might of been a goodish soccer player but he was no role model.

OK Jim, the greatest then is Brian Dooher. A clean-living gentleman, who does a lot of good work within his community and for his sport. If it is a role model you are after, rather than a 'goodish' soccer player.

As for the soccer argument, well of course the number of participants has to be considered. Surely it is more impressive to be the best at something that is done by a huge number of people, than the best at something that is done by comparatively few.

Brian O'Driscoll is/was an excellent rugby player, but it is easier to achieve the top in that sport than it is at soccer. Look at John Hayes, for example. 100 caps, and only took up the game when he was 20. Or Brian Carney, who only took it up seriousluy when he was in his late 20s, yet still played for Ireland. That would be impossible in soccer.

Never once mentioned GAA or any other sport.
I only asked the question does the sportsman have to come from a very popular sport
Yes regarding the role model aspect, that is part of been an accomplished successful sports star, if you want to prop up a another flawed genius then your no better that the edjits of politicians we have who still think Charlie and Bertie were great men.

Greatest sports person possibly was Dr Pat O Callaghan who won two Olympic Gold medals in Track and Field (The Hammer) but then again that may not be popular enough.

Sorry I laugh when people hold up flawed persons such as Best,McGrath, etc as great sports-people no wonder we win nothing on the international stage cause they live up to the stereotype of been pissed the whole time.

JimWexford wrote:
no wonder we win nothing on the international stage cause they live up to the stereotype of been pissed the whole time.

Well, Best must have been sober for long enough to win European Footballer of the Year, on the international stage.

Jim, you mightn't like the man, and that is fair enough, but his brilliance and achievements in a short space of time were exceptional.