I see that people are still overlooking Roy Keane's shortcomings i.e. trying to cripple other players and deserting his country's team. Still as long as he played for Man Utd all is forgiven !!! What if he played for a smaller club ?

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 17/10/2008 17:53:14    121552

bananapublican County: Leitrim Posts: 26 121367 Nearly had forgotten Pat Spillane, he represented ireland in the International superstars series. A competition for all rounders. He is the greatest. He is indeed "the greatest"......xxxxxxx of all time

Boxtyeater (Leitrim) - Posts: 735 - 17/10/2008 20:16:52    121616

mc coy . roy keane , peter canavan , jhonny murtagh , r walsh, steve collins, pocket rocket, sonia o sullivan, simon goeghan,

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 17/10/2008 23:22:02    121647

I see that people are still overlooking Roy Keane's shortcomings i.e. trying to cripple other players and deserting his country's team. Still as long as he played for Man Utd all is forgiven !!! What if he played for a smaller club ? [u/]

You can pick out negative things about every person nominated. But the fact of the matter is he achieved more on the biggest stage than any other irish person... 'What if he didnt play for utd?' The fact of the matter is he did, arguably the best club in the world, captaining them and being their talisman for most of his career. Described by Alex F as unreplaceable. He was and is world renouned. Regardless of the negatives, which I dont advocate, no other irish person achieved all this over as long a period of time. Thats why he has to be considered as the best.

"But the fact of the matter is he achieved more on the biggest stage than any other irish person..."

He walked out on his country on the biggest stage.

Not even as good a player as McGrath or Brady

bad.monkey (USA) - Posts: 4649 - 18/10/2008 11:54:52    121693

Roy Keane should be shot with a ball of his own dung for what he done at the World Cup!

horseman (Tyrone) - Posts: 292 - 18/10/2008 12:14:03    121701

Still Michelle De Bruin

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 18/10/2008 14:29:52    121752

TheMaster
County: Mayo
Posts: 220

121681 I see that people are still overlooking Roy Keane's shortcomings i.e. trying to cripple other players and deserting his country's team. Still as long as he played for Man Utd all is forgiven !!! What if he played for a smaller club ? [u/]

You can pick out negative things about every person nominated. But the fact of the matter is he achieved more on the biggest stage than any other irish person... 'What if he didnt play for utd?' The fact of the matter is he did, arguably the best club in the world, captaining them and being their talisman for most of his career. Described by Alex F as unreplaceable. He was and is world renouned. Regardless of the negatives, which I dont advocate, no other irish person achieved all this over as long a period of time. Thats why he has to be considered as the best.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Master: I take it you don't know an awful lot about sport in general? ....How can you honestly say that Roy Keane achieved more on the biggest stage than any other Irish person?..... Surely you're having a laugh...??.... All credit to Roy and all that.. yes he was a magnificent soccer player and all that but please don't even think about mentioning his name in the same sentence as true Irish greats who did actually perform on the world stage such as Padraig Harrington, Sonia O'Sullivan., Ronnie Delaney, Eamonn Coughlan, John Treacy, Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly etc......Now there's a few names for you who did actually perform 'on the biggest stage over a long period of time'....!!!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 18/10/2008 14:52:53    121757

Pat O'Callaghan

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 18/10/2008 15:32:51    121761

Nothing like the mention Keanes name to get peoples back up!!!!!! Whatever peoples opinion of him as a person are, how anyone can doubt his status as one of the foremost Irish sportspeople of recent years is beyond me.
By the way Harrington for me has to be the best - has improved year on year since turning pro and could possibly win 3-4 more majors over the next few years

FagAnBealach (Monaghan) - Posts: 98 - 18/10/2008 15:55:11    121766

horseman fia and m mc carthy that should be shot they trained on something like a car park with no balls or water roy keane was right what he had done fair play to him legend

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 18/10/2008 16:18:39    121770

THE LATE,BUT THE GREAT,SEAN PURCELL.

ACtribe (Galway) - Posts: 401 - 18/10/2008 16:30:16    121772

All this talk about keane being the greatest ever Irish sports person is ridiculous, he isnt even the greatest ever irish footballer. Brady, best and McGrath are all well ahead of Keane in footballing terms but as far as the greatest sports person, that has to be either Harrington, Sean Kelly or Steven Roche. All reached the pinnacle of their sports and performed regularly at the highest level. Jim Stynes also deserves a mention. An Aussie rules legend, one of the best players ever and holds the record for the most consecutive games in aussie rules.

In years to come Keane will only be remebered as a player who tried to break an opponents leg and for the Saipan incident.

Down and out (Down) - Posts: 65 - 18/10/2008 17:09:12    121786

Have to agree with most posts bu the cycling is tarnished kelly-----they never liked the brutal honesty of Paul Kimmages book. Jason Sherlock desrves a mention in this post, All Ireland medal with Dublin in 1995, Ireland U21 soccer international and former striker with shels and former member of the irish basket ball team. Mick Galway, Shane Long, Tomas O Leary were also talented in more than one sport.

bananapublican (Leitrim) - Posts: 878 - 18/10/2008 18:00:31    121803

pat o callaghan

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 18/10/2008 18:01:10    121804

If the topic of this thread was Irelands greatest traitor, then you could mention the name of Roy Keane, ah the training ground was too hard for him big deal, he should be prepared to play on hot coal to wear the green jersey.,,, must be something in the water down in cork as we have another chap from that neck of the woods now, Stephen Ireland,,,,who really should be called stephen England. Irelands greatest sports star, Johnny Giles Sonia O'sullivan, or Sean Kelly

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 18/10/2008 18:27:34    121811

down and out your talking nonense he was twice the man of the those both carried ireland for years and got no respect from the fai look at his medal table

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 18/10/2008 18:48:20    121815

DELLBOYPOLECAT:

This thread is about Ireland's greatest ever sports star - not Ireland's greatest ever soccer player!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 18/10/2008 21:02:32    121856

MICHELLE SMITH.... 4 or 5 Gold Medals????? Nobody comes close!!!

SAMMYTHEBULL (Galway) - Posts: 1646 - 18/10/2008 21:16:15    121862

Welcome back Sammythebull, i missed you !!!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 18/10/2008 23:49:52    121910