RTE commissioned a poll to see who the public think are the top 40 greatest Irish people of all time. Remember that now: all time. Not this week, or last year, or since 1985. All time.
So who did the Irish public come up with?
Here you go:
Bono
Dr Noel Browne
Michael Collins
James Connolly
Éamon de Valera
Joe Dolan
Colin Farrell
Garret Fitzgerald
Stephen Gately
Bob Geldof
Padraig Harrington
Charles Haughey
Séamus Heaney
John Hume
James Joyce
John B Keane
Roy Keane
Ronan Keating
Séan Lemass
Jack Lynch
Phil Lynott
Paul McGrath
Christy Moore
Liam Neeson
Daniel O’Connell
Daniel O’Donnell
Brian O’Driscoll
Michael O’Leary
John O’Shea
Charles Stewart Parnell
Patrick Pearse
Christy Ring
Mary Robinson
Adi Roche
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Louis Walsh
Oscar Wilde
W. B. Yeats
Stephen Gately? Ronan Keating? Louis fucking Walsh?
Greatest Irish people of all time?
In the top forty greatest Irish people of all time, the public selected two members of an ageing boyband and their manager – the high priest of trash. It contains a dodgy country 'n' western singer and an even dodgier showband singer.
They're taking the piss, aren't they? Why didn't they put in Dustin the turkey while they were at it? Bosco. Podge and fucking Rodge.
They'd have as much credibility as this bunch.
Have another look at that list. Let's break it down.
It contains thirteen politicians, nine entertainers, five writers, six sports people and a couple of businessmen.
Are there any scientists on the list? Hamilton? Boyle? Stokes? Walton? Boole?
Any engineers?
Architects?
Doctors?
No.
Is Sonia O'Sullivan among the greatest sports people? George Best?
No.
How about Beckett in the list of great writers?
Shaw? Flann O'Brien? Ó Faolain? McGahern? Swift? Banville? Synge? O'Casey? Friel?
No.
What we got instead was Boyzone, Louis Walsh and Joe Dolan.
The greatest Irish people of all time, God help us. This is where we see ourselves. No wonder we're in trouble.
You can choose the top five greatest Irish people of all time by voting HERE.
Why not get on there and select Louis Walsh, Stephen Gately, Ronan Keating, Daniel O'Donnell and Joe Dolan?
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The people who take part in these polls are fucking morons anyway, Bock. Besides, everyone knows Mulley's the greatest Irish person of all time. The Louis and his aging alter boys are one thing but Haughey? Dev? One helped to start our culture of corruption and the other brought it to a new level. Why not put Bertie in there while they're at it. Stephen Gately got the zombie vote. RTE should be worrying about all manner of other issues. I mean, the other night they had a programme called Fair City 20 Years in Carrigstown. This confirms that RTE love to celebrate utter shite.
All time? Surely Fionn Mac Cumhaill has to make it onto that list somewhere. Brian Ború? How about Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington?
Anyone who bases their views on a vox pop needs to have a long think about life.
Bock your own from another thread.
What kind of people were polled for that heap of shit?How fucking embarassing.They never even mentioned Peig.
What about Mary Harney? She's great in terms of girth. Oh Jaysus, I just mentioned that baboon and girth in the one sentence.
Paul David Hewson,Bono who lived tax free for years then when they taxed him he left . the greatest Irishman give me a break.
People this is a poll, a piece of flimflam of no consequence whatsoever. A distraction to the horror in which we now find ourselves. I am quite confident that no contributor or even reader to this site was polled. As ever open to correction.
Bock a small correction to the original post “no Doctors” . Dr. Noel Browne is on the list. He was crushed by “Holy Mother Church” with the help of the then Government of Ireland. Remember the “Mother and Child Bill “
I know Noel Browne is on the list. However, it isn't in his capacity as a doctor, but as a politician.
Gary, every poll, no matter how inane or moronic, tells us something about how the public think. If this poll is indicative of even a tenth of the population, we are truly fucked.
The poll was not a Vox-pop
It was a scientific survey of 1000 randomly selected people.
That's the the bad thing about it. We really do seem to believe that Boyzone and Louis Walsh are among the greatest Irish people who ever lived.
If you had a list of the greatest Irish cunts ever, you'd probably get a similar list. Bono, Louis Walsh, Ronan Keating, Charlie Haughey, Dev. In fact, what the fuck is Jack Lynch doing in there. He mightn't get on the greatest cunts list but he'd top the greatest morons list.
Bock could you please give me the data on this survey? I find it incredible ,as in not to be believed. I once many years ago was surveyed, and asked how many children I intended to have . I replied 2.5 and this was recorded! Perhaps we should have “jedward” on the list. You must surely see it for the pathetic nonsense that it is? I await the reply of anyone who was surveyed. Scientific? I have studied stats and the answer seems to be what would the client care to prove?
Sonia is on it, Bock.
Gary — As you studied statistics, you'll know that a scientific survey is not the same as a vox-pop. However, if you want the results, I'm afraid you'll have to ask RTE.
Stephen Gately and Louis Walsh. Jesus fucking wept.
Gary.. I actually was polled, I voted for myself.. they said they never heard of me.. I said well now you fuckin have.
Did you go have a long think about life? I did.. a flash of insight came to me. Wanna hear it..no.. ok :
life is like a box of chocolates.. eat um all. Namaste. :)
There are a lot of stupid people out there, so what do you expect?
The one name I think is conspicuous by its absence is Edmund Burke, if nothing else for his elegant intellectual critique of British imperialism in Ireland and India, and his contributions to political philosophy. His legacy is still evident in the way democracy works.
Edmund Burke or Charlie Haughey? Hmmm, let me think about that for a nanosecond.
And where was Stephen Ireland? Surely one of the Ireland's greatest sons?
Its Where they did this survey I want to know.Probably outside HMV in about 45 minutes. No Beckett? Un-fucking-believable…
To tell the truth lads Beckett was a dreay bastard. He'd make Morrissey sound like an optimist. Heaven knows he was absurd now. But maybe he was just having a laugh. Originally he was going to run Waiting for Godot without any actors at all. The plan was just to have someone change the lighting on stage every now and then and a have an empty chair on stage. . The French would have went ape for it. I'd agree with CJ about Edmund Burke, a great Irishman indeed. As for Stephen Ireland, yeah very funny CJ and he after killing his two grandmothers, or was that three?
I think we have not had and still don't have any great people. What we have had and may have still are those who have achieved something that in the long run benefitted all.
Boole certainly did something that did benefit us and his achievement is still benefitting everyone today. There were the achievements in agriculture of Jethro Tull. As far as I'm aware he was Irish but was educated and worked in England.
We don't know what was lost as a result of the zealous and manic clergy of the catholic church arriving on our shores but I suspect there were great achievements by women in our history prior to their arrival.
You're going to love this
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 – )
Just to clarify one thing – as far as I can make out, the long-list in the original post was drawn up by some RTÉ minion(s). The public are being asked to choose from that long-list.
(Personally, my vote goes to Charles J Haughey. Sure, wasn't he a great man altogether..?)
Don't think so CH, apparently they polled people on the street to come up with the long list, 3,000 people if I recall
I don't think RTE came up with the list. As far as I know, it came from a poll of the general public.
Now, I'm not sure if the poll was conducted in the RTE canteen. Further research required.
As an englishman, i dont believe im knowledgeable enough about the greats in Irish history, but for goodness sake, STEPHEN GATELEY…. above poets, engineers, men and women of letters…what the fuck were they on when compiling that list…. sure, your never going to please everyone, but lets celebrate the greatness of artistic, cultural, sporting and political landscaping….. for what its worth, where a similar poll carried out in England i dare say Posh Spice, the Crankies and Michael "fucking" Barrymore would come in ahead of the really credit worthy…. life just a'int fair…
It's what sets Ireland and Britain apart from the rest of Europe. We don't value people who know about real things. We don't elect them to government and we don't hire them to head our major copanies.
We prefer bean counters.
It's why we lag so far behind, and why our leaders believe any old shit. They know no better.
RTE are really in love with themselves and their opinions, particularly Ryan Tubs.They've been promoting this shite for weeks now.As far as they're concerned we're impressionable idiots.There is a shower of groupies up there who recycle the so called celebrity twats ad nauseam.It's surely incestuous indulgence in public. Louis Arsehole Walsh. is the greatest shite vendor in entertainment.Mr Mediocrity himself.Then again look what we've voted into power over the years.Yeah, we probably deserve the turds we put into power and the economic cesspit in which we're drowning.
I have just carried out my own poll on this subject and the result is conclusive.I am brilliant and bruno gets a mention for the "greatest shite vendor in entertainment" comment.
Laurence-Quite right.It isn't fucking fair.
At least Bertie Ahearn isn't on it.
Sir Edward Carson should be on the list.And retrospectively I suppose Gerry Ryan should on the list too.
Denis Burkitt saved more lives than any other Irishman I know of. Polls are dross.
Sir Edward Carson and the lad himself, Roy Keane.Two greatest Irishmen by a mile.
I've just commented on Gaelick's site, wot about Grainne Mhaol? Books to check by Anne Chambers & Judith Cooke, worth a look.