Thats my point in doing my own list - I know that Second Captains Wall is too modern, but theres sports-people in other codes, including hurling, that achieved things that no Gaelic footballer ever did.

http://catmalojin.com/2015/04/08/the-top-irish-athletes-of-all-time/

CatMalojin (USA) - Posts: 32 - 09/04/2015 14:43:34    1712458

Thats my point in doing my own list - I know that Second Captains Wall is too modern, but theres sports-people in other codes, including hurling, that achieved things that no Gaelic footballer ever did.

http://catmalojin.com/2015/04/08/the-top-irish-athletes-of-all-time/

CatMalojin (USA) - Posts: 32 - 09/04/2015 15:07:43    1712467

no. 1 Christy Ring. The rest, in no particular order: Roy Keane, Maurice Fitzgerald, Peter Canavan, Steve Collins, Brian O Driscoll, Henry Shefflin, Stephen Roche, Tommy walsh, Rory McIlroy.
All were at the very top of the field in their sports, anyone who wasnt doesnt belong on the list, imo (eg, Liam Brady, Keith Wood, whoever it was won bronze sometime)

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 09/04/2015 16:35:33    1712504

On Second Captains last night, Maurice Fitzgerald was removed from the Wall and replaced by....Carl Frampton!!! That surely tells you all you need to know about this entirely ridiculous concept.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 16/04/2015 08:34:28    1714683

Football First that's your bias coming into play. Carl Framoton is by a country mile the best boxer this island has ever seen and will go on to dominate for years to come. In fact if the programme was still going in 3 years time Frampton could be at the top. But won't be because of exposure. Or lack of. The reason we don't see much of him is because he isn't from the South of the island. RTE tried to make out Dubliner Bernard Dunne was a superstar when he was boxing and showed every single fight he had. He was decent, no more than that. They barely give a mention to Frampton.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 16/04/2015 09:50:52    1714695

"The good wall" is mainly for a bit of fun and debate. Some of the guests take it seriously whereas others just see it as a bit of craic. I don't think O'Driscoll should be ahead of Paul O'Connell, never mind at number 1.
Jimmy Barry Murphy, Brian Lohan, Gooch, Jim McGuinness, Diarmuid Connolly, Maurice Fitz, DJ, Henry, Canavan would be some of the GAA heads who should be up there.

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 16/04/2015 10:18:46    1714704

jACK O Ssea deserves a mention on this thread as the best Captain on the greatest team of all time....maybe Paidi too

kikfada (Louth) - Posts: 2091 - 16/04/2015 10:31:06    1714707

On the law of averages there should be way more Gaelic Footballers and hurlers on the wall than rugby players. There is only a tiny percentage of our population played rugby. It's highly that 3 of our top 10 best ever fall in to that small pool. Coincidence too that the 3 of these are in the current successful but also most hyped rugby era.

Christy Ring played intercounty hurling until he was 42 winning 8 all Irelands, there was major calls to bring him back in 1966 when cork won the AI. In fact I believe hey was listed on the panel for the Munster final.. aged 46! Surely worth an appearance?

To see Larry Tompkins was in his prime driving forward, taking and creating scores I doubt Roy Keane was any better than him or have any more desire to win. Jack O'Shea was just before my time but I'm sure Jacko or Brian Mullins could equally be in that bracket.

Maurice Fits vs Ronan O'Gara I'd have to go for Maurice Fitz, known for his incredible attacking tallents he could also play midfield and win ball, 2 equally good feet, out of the hand or off the ground. Did we ever produce a more skillful operator in any code.

Rugby is a great game, the power and speed are amazing but some of the skills they rave about are things kids do out in the back garden - managing to hold on to a pass that's a bit low while running is amazing skill! I dont buy that.

The good wall is a bit of craic but it's always going to go with the hype and is never going to stand up to closer analysis. The ability for perform on a national stage gives other sports a spotlight that we dont have.

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 338 - 16/04/2015 11:13:02    1714732

The problem with this "wall" is it is always going to be made up of current sportspeople and also those with the biggest profile. The likes of Matt Connor would be up there with the greatest to ever play Gaelic football but he will never be next to near making a list like the one on the show.

And after Matt Connor I would have Al Finucane ahead of any gaelic footballer and ahead of every Irish soccer player. But because he played league of Ireland soccer most people would barely know him or heard of him. Played over 600 times, was well into his 40s before he retired and was never sent off in his whole career. In my opinion the greatest league of Ireland player ever and deserves a place on any great irish sportspeople list.

mike03 (Limerick) - Posts: 2000 - 16/04/2015 11:45:26    1714741

Flack saying Tommy Walsh should be up there instead of Liam Brady is exactly the kind of declaration that I take umbrage with. Its a bit ridiculous to say that they were a better sportsman than Chippy, who is easily the most skilful player we've ever produced, and rose to the top in a game that is played worldwide, as opposed to a game that is played by ten counties in an island in the north Atlantic

CatMalojin (USA) - Posts: 32 - 16/04/2015 15:14:26    1714826

Jim Stynes really should be on it. This country just does not understand the magnitude of the man's achievement in sport and then to top it off with the positive influence he had on Australian culture in general. An absolute giant. One of Modern Ireland's top achievers on and off the field. The only other person you could nearly measure against him is Dermot Earley Sr. or maybe Dr. David Hickey.

Yet there's people who wouldn't even know what he's done.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 16/04/2015 16:07:30    1714839

Thats your opinion catmalojin, i didnt see much of Brady playing, but he was extremely one-footed. Id only put him on the list if he was one of the or the very best midfielder of his time (a la Roy Keane) Maybe you think he was, youd probably know better than me. I dont agree that you have to be an outstanding sportsman to play pro soccer at a high level. Theres plenty of Donkeys in the premiership

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 16/04/2015 20:56:38    1714943

Well said doublehop, played against young Jim manys a time, lovely lovely man!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 16/04/2015 21:49:08    1714960

flack

I think you've left out better sportsmen. Nicky rackard single handedly turned a football county into a hurling one. The best scoring machine there ever was. 7-7 has yet to be beaten in one championship match.
Barry mguingan,mccullough and Andy Lee are all far better than Collins. Harrington is the top irish golfer as mcelroy is confused about his nationality.
Eddie ervine,Kenny Egan,Katie Taylor.

Team sports are a whole different ball game. Brady is well worth a place and Johnny Giles carried a great leeds team. Niall quinn a high achiever in two codes.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2692 - 17/04/2015 09:21:30    1714977

flack
County: Dublin
Posts: 594

1714943 Thats your opinion catmalojin, i didnt see much of Brady playing, but he was extremely one-footed. Id only put him on the list if he was one of the or the very best midfielder of his time (a la Roy Keane) Maybe you think he was, youd probably know better than me. I dont agree that you have to be an outstanding sportsman to play pro soccer at a high level. Theres plenty of Donkeys in the premiership

Well said , Im not on here to Knock L Brady , but in perspective sold by Juventus because they bought a truly world class player in Platini , incredibly one footed , not the fastest , and hardly ever won a ball in the air , Chippy has cult status with soccer lads , how you get it ? how its validated ? god only knows , but he was not the best of his generation , he was ONE of the best of his generation .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 17/04/2015 09:32:38    1714980

Lads it seems you both have harsh opinions on what constitutes a great irish sports person. In fairness we're and island of 4 odd million with our own national games,top class horses/jockeys,top class rugby,ok soccer,world number 1 in amateur boxing wuth 2 current professional champions. Calling a spade a spade these are incredible stats compared to other countries our size, none of the others have anything like the GAA either so and Irish sports person who makes to it premiership,pga tour,olympics or anything else on a world stage is a great sports person. God, iI'd even make an argument for John O'Shea!!!

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2692 - 17/04/2015 10:19:48    1714995

Fair enough, its hard to fit so many into 10. I think Collins was a great world champion though, beat everyone who was in front of him, and had Roy Jones (toted by many as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world) running scared. The main reason that Collins retired was that he was sick of chasing after Jones who kept hiding from the fight

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 17/04/2015 10:24:11    1714999

Id say your right Damo, he seems to be very popular amongst people who were into Irish soccer before it got popular post euro 88. Maybe to distinguish themselves from the bandwagoners ;-D

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 17/04/2015 10:27:31    1715001

on the topic actually, I'm working on a top ten here and I seriously doubt I'd pick any footballer. A personal favourite would be Johnny Hegarty. Nobody outside Wexford would even know him but he was exceptional and unfortunately for him the Wexford football revolution came well after his prime. He spent his best year in division 4.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2692 - 17/04/2015 10:52:29    1715015

I can't believe the denigration of Liam Brady on this thread. I saw Liam Brady play.He is one of the top five we have had in the last forty years along with Paul McGrath, Roy Keane, Denis Irwin and Shay Given . He spent seven years in Italy and at the time of his departure from Ascoli he was the longest serving non Italian player in Italy. He scored the penalty that won the Scudetto for Juve despite knowing that he was to be sold at the end of the season. He was a world class player who went from Juve to Inter. The Wall is a harmless distraction that should not to be taken too seriously. Any top ten of Irish sportspeople is always going to be contentious . Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Padraig Harrington, Sonia O Sulliavan, John Treacy, Barry McGuigan and Jack O Shea are all missing from that list.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 17/04/2015 17:54:36    1715138