Vote for the greatest Irish person of all time: www.rte.ie/tv/irelandsgreatest

Re: Vote for the greatest Irish person of all time

Ernest Shackleton is a shocking omission IMO
 
Don't forget this is RTE, their visions of greatness are limited to the likes of Jedward or even worse again, Ryan Tubridy :eek:

The likes of Crean & Shackleton just won't make it onto their lists - one is from Kerry, the other is too hard to spell.
 
The greatest Irish person of all time is the person who's made the biggest positive impact on the lives of all Irish people who have ever existed.

Recent celebs do not fall into this category. Nor do the people Ash 22 refers to on this thread (as great as these people are, few make any impact on the lives of millions of Irish people).
 
Re: Vote for the greatest Irish person of all time

Ernest Shackleton is a shocking omission IMO

I agree but I am not sure that Shackleton regarded himself as very Irish. He moved to England aged 10, was a Royal Navy officer and tried to get elected to Parliament as a Liberal Unionist in Dundee.
 
We're claiming him regardless !!!
If Eddie Irvine becomes British when he wins a GP but is Irish when he crashes, I think it's only fair ! :)
 
+1

I feel a pet hate/things that annoy you update coming on...

e.g. Oscar Wilde: One of the greatest British writers/wits of all time.

Vs

Oscar Wilde: Irish degenerate poof and jailbird.

:rolleyes:
 
The greatest Irish person of all time is the person who's made the biggest positive impact on the lives of all Irish people who have ever existed.

Good point but not necessarily the lives of Irish people though

Bob Geldof made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of people in Ethiopia
 
Re: Vote for the greatest Irish person of all time

... I am not sure that Shackleton regarded himself as very Irish. He moved to England aged 10, was a Royal Navy officer and tried to get elected to Parliament as a Liberal Unionist in Dundee.

  • Roger Casement, erstwhile commercial colonist and British Foreign Office Diplomat in the consular office
  • Wellington was born in Kildare
  • Kitchener was a Kerryman
  • Mick Collins worked for the the British Post Office (one of very few Corkonians ever accused of working :))
  • Jem Larkin was born in Liverpool
  • James Connolly in Edinburgh
  • Patrick & Willie Pearse's father was a Birmingham-born Home Ruler
  • Countess Markiewicz (Constance Gore-Booth) was born in London and was a British MP
  • DeValera was Spanish-American (his US passport may have prevented the Brits from shooting him after 1916 (bite your tongue, bite your tongue hard))
but they're ours I say, all ours, for better or worse, all ours.
 
Re: Vote for the greatest Irish person of all time

devalera was spanish-american (his us passport may have prevented the brits from shooting him after 1916 (bite your tongue, bite your tongue hard))

:d
 
Hey mathepac! You forgot Dustin. Probably made in China, HK, Formosa but he's one of us.:)
 
Bertie's not on the list! I would have voted for him :D

On a more serious note, Michael O'Leary or Bob Geldof. I think I'd have to go with Michael O'Leary.
- Helping to expose the Irish government for what they are.
- Creating a hugely successful company against the odds.
- Introducing low cost travel to millions of people across Europe.
 
Oh Jebus. Bono is still in there...and Stephen Gately !
The Ten Greatest
(in alphabetical order)
1 Bono (1960 – )
2 Noel Browne (1915 – 1997)
3 Michael Collins (1890 – 1922)
4 James Connolly (1868 – 1916)
5 Stephen Gately (1976 – 2009)
6 John Hume (1937 – )
7 Phil Lynott (1951 - 1986)
8 Pádraig Pearse (1879 – 1916)
9 Mary Robinson (1944 – )
10 Adi Roche (1955 – )

None worthy of the title IMO.
 
We talk about voting for poor politicians time after time. Looking at that list it is clear to me we can't even poll 10 reasonable people from our entire history.
 
We're claiming him regardless !!!
If Eddie Irvine becomes British when he wins a GP but is Irish when he crashes, I think it's only fair ! :)

It's a long time since something on AAM made me laugh out loud!!!! Brilliant, Pique! :D
 
Ernest Shackleton is a shocking omission IMO


+1

  • Roger Casement, erstwhile commercial colonist and British Foreign Office Diplomat in the consular office
  • Wellington was born in Kildare
  • Kitchener was a Kerryman
  • Mick Collins worked for the the British Post Office (one of very few Corkonians ever accused of working :))
  • Jem Larkin was born in Liverpool
  • James Connolly in Edinburgh
  • Patrick & Willie Pearse's father was a Birmingham-born Home Ruler
  • Countess Markiewicz (Constance Gore-Booth) was born in London and was a British MP
  • DeValera was Spanish-American (his US passport may have prevented the Brits from shooting him after 1916 (bite your tongue, bite your tongue hard))
but they're ours I say, all ours, for better or worse, all ours.

Could also add, Arthur Conan Doyle (Irish Mum and Irish decendant Dad) and another Arthur, Arthur Wellesley AKA 1st Duke of Wellington.
 
.. Arthur, Arthur Wellesley AKA 1st Duke of Wellington.

Doesn't Wellington have some comment attributed to him, in the context of his birthplace, that 'being born in a stable does not make one a horse .." ?
 
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