Greatest Irish Person

PHB

http://www.thehist.com/index.php?t=session&n=irishman

When the final ten are announced, the poll will be reset and polling will continue for the rest of the year, culminating in a grand showdown at the Hist in Trinity Term. At that event a mixture of experts, historians, public figures and students will all propose one figure for the title of Greatest Irishperson, and a combination of the internet poll and crowd vote on the night will decide who the College Historical Society have voted the Greatest Irishperson.

Get voting.
Vote in some of the cool people who aren't in the top ten, like Parnell and O Connell

Sparks

So how do I nominate myself then?

spanner

god there is a hell of a lot of political figures leading the vote. do we give respect to other people

mr_angry

I cast my vote the way of Bono. People hate him because he's famous (and acts like it sometimes), but I had in mind the following reasons:

1. He's used his fame and wealth for some very good causes.
2. He's probably the best known Irishman outside of Ireland.
3. I can't recall him ever giving a negative impression of Ireland to anyone.

You can't ask for more than that, in my opinion.

Jaden

De Valera - Did to Ireland what communism did to the USSR.

The_Goose

Originally posted by Jaden
De Valera - Did to Ireland what communism did to the USSR.

fact

me voted for mary robinson cause she was the best thing to happen to this country in politics in long time

TomF

I'd say Bono is a no-runner in the competition. Just do a Google on Bono + f word and see what you get!

My nomination is Sister Mary Aidan, of Cork City, who was stoned and stabbed to death in a car, then her body burned with the car in East London, South Africa in 1951. She was a medical doctor and is a tremendous credit to Ireland.

Cork

Originally posted by Jaden
De Valera - Did to Ireland what communism did to the USSR.

He did preserve democracy in this country aganist the threat of both the IRA & the blueshirts.

Sparks

Originally posted by Cork
He did preserve democracy in this country aganist the threat of both the IRA & the blueshirts.

Cork, are you trolling again or did you just never study Irish history?

Cork

DeValera did intern many IRA people in the 40's. When democracy was under threat in many European Countries. DeValera took action aganist the IRA.

By the mid-1930s the IRA had lost most of its residual support and membership. In addition, de Valera’s government responded to continued violence by the IRA with more special legislation, and hundreds of suspected IRA members and sympathizers were interned (imprisoned without trial), and several were sentenced to death during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Over the next 25 years, the power and influence of the IRA steadily declined. Though terrorist incidents infrequently occurred in the 1950s, by the early 1960s the IRA had lost most of its active membership, and it finally renounced violence in 1962, although it still undertook terrorist acts on occasion.

Link

I think that de Valera deserves much credit for his stance with both the IRA & Blueshirts.

bonkey

Originally posted by Cork
I think that de Valera deserves much credit for his stance with both the IRA & Blueshirts.

What a strange article to choose to highlight what you see as the highpoints of the greatest Irish person...Holding people without trial....sentencing to death..

makes me proud.

Sparks

Especially since this "greatest irish person" effectively started the Civil War which lead into the whole "let's just blow people up till we get our way" mindset that led to the forming of the provos in the first place.
Between De Velera's example and Haughey's funding, we got one of the worst problems that the state's ever had to deal with and the deaths of thousands of innocent people, and the terrorising of hundreds of thousands more.

So seeing either of them even considered for the title of "greatest Irish person ever" is more of an insult than even the idea of choosing the greatest Irish person by using a popularity poll run by the Hist...

SCULLY

Just had a look at the current standings : I don't know how many have voted at the moment but the fact that Roy Keane has more % votes than Parnell, Yeats or Joyce leaves a lot to be desired

ishmael whale

If you've any sense of fun, try getting the Duke of Wellington on the list. I've nominated him, but I take it you need to pass a threshold before he appears.

Jaden

Dev was just one of those chaps Irish history would have been alot better off without.

Dev's picture of a perfect Ireland was every man, woman and child with a mouthful of Irish, and a pocketful of rosary beads. Everything else was a secondary concern.

His pathological hatred of England kept Ireland backward for decades. He sent a letter of condolence to the German embassay after Hitler's death, just to piss off Churchill.

A petty, overly-idealistic, self serving man.

When it came to his execution for his involvement in the 1916 rising, he got off because he claimed to be American, (he was born in the states, and had a Spainish father).

He turned on Collins for accepting a partitioned Ireland (knowing full well it was the best deal we could have got at the time, which is why he took no part in the negociations himself).

In summary, not a great Irishman, just another plastic paddy.

As for the Duke of Wellington, he was a great Irishman. Critical in the success of the balltle of Waterloo and introduced Catholic emancipation. He's also got a great monument in the Phoenix park, which I have fond memories of as a child on Sunday drives.

Cork

Originally posted by Sparks
Especially since this "greatest irish person" effectively started the Civil War which lead into the whole "let's just blow people up till we get our way" mindset that led to the forming of the provos in the first place.

DeValera did not start the Civil War.

He gave the country a constitution & safe gaurded democracy when it was under threat.

DeValera also split from SF to form FF. He, to his credit moved away from violence as a political weapon.

Sparks

Originally posted by Cork
DeValera did not start the Civil War.

Only if you're talking about a civil war in another country. He did start the one in this country though.

safe gaurded democracy when it was under threat.

No he didn't. In fact, he was an enemy of democracy. A democratic vote was taken on the Treaty and it was decided to accept it - and De Velera refused to take it, thus refusing to accept democratic rule.

DeValera also split from SF to form FF. He, to his credit moved away from violence as a political weapon.

Sure, after he got what he wanted.

gurramok

Sure, after he got what he wanted

And a non-perfect constitution.

bizmark

well for me its between Brian Boru and micheal collins

Brain did unite ireland under one irish king for the first and only time then kicked the vikings arse.....
But micheal wins it because hes just great ........i wonder what ireland would of been like if he hadnt been killed :dunno:

PHB

For me its Parnell, like come on, the man was a legend!

Hobbes

Originally posted by Cork
I think that de Valera deserves much credit for his stance with both the IRA & Blueshirts.

And he did like Hitler and his views and signed a book of condolances when he died.

Hey I invoked Godwins law, do I get a cookie?

I voted for Dustin the turkey.

therecklessone

I'd love it if a load of British people sabotaged this poll and voted for Cromwell or someone like that.

That'd be great gas altogether.

sceptre

Originally posted by therecklessone
I'd love it if a load of British people sabotaged this poll and voted for Cromwell or someone like that.

That'd be great gas altogether.

Ah but by no means could Cromwell be considered Irish so he wouldn't qualify. Despite what the Duke of Wellington said with regard to being born in a stable not making one a horse he qualifies as Irish. So if you're writing to your UK friends (I'll be doing so right now), I'd recommend Arthur Wellesley

Actually, here you go:

Subject: Get your own back

You probably didn't notice (or even care) but those dastardly Irish (yes, you know, we used to rule their whole island) have been doing their level best over the past few years to spoil every online poll they can get their hands on, including the BBC's sportsman of the year and the BBC's World's Favourite Song (http://tinyurl.com/3enk8 ) polls.

Here's your chance to strike back for Blighty in the "Greatest Irish Person" poll. It'll only take you a minute.

Click this URL:
http://www.thehist.com/index.php?t=session&n=irishman

Then at the bottom right of the page, under "suggest a nomination", enter


Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington


The Iron Duke may well have said that "to be born in a stable does not make one a horse" but I'm sure the Irish will be gracious enough to recognise the contribution one of their natives made to the world with his victory at Waterloo, protecting the world from the fierce and foul French. Huzzah!

Guy:Incognito

quote:
Subject: Get your own back

You probably didn't notice (or even care) but those dastardly Irish (yes, you know, we used to rule their whole island) have been doing their level best over the past few years to spoil every online poll they can get their hands on, including the BBC's sportsman of the year and the BBC's World's Favourite Song (http://www.ananova.com/entertainmen...1719.html?menu= ) polls.

Here's your chance to strike back for Blighty in the "Greatest Irish Person" poll. It'll only take you a minute.

Click this URL:
http://www.thehist.com/index.php?t=session&n=irishman

Then at the bottom right of the page, under "suggest a nomination", enter


Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington


The Iron Duke may well have said that "to be born in a stable does not make one a horse" but I'm sure the Irish will be gracious enough to recognise the contribution one of their natives made to the world with his victory at Waterloo, protecting the world from the fierce and foul French. Huzzah!

---

So the english are crediting us with one of there more celebrated historical victories, lol I think they have this whole thing a bit backward.

personally i voted for roy keane.

ishmael whale

It has to be the Duke of Wellington - he'd rotate in his tomb at been voted greatest Irish person.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/state/monarchs_leaders/wellington_01.shtml

"Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), .............. was born in Dublin, the fourth son of the 1st Earl of Mornington. He always denied being Irish, however, saying that being born in a barn does not make someone a horse. He felt he was not truly Irish because he hailed from the Anglo-Irish aristocratic 'Protestant Ascendancy' that ruled Ireland until the partition of 1922."

ReefBreak

Be careful what you wish for where the internet is concerned, it could easily happen. Watching all those MOPE Gaelgóirs foaming at the mouth in rage would be so funny. Ah, the bitter irony of it all.

philcollins

St Patrick (who wasn't Irish) is ahead of Daniel O'Connell.Why does an association with the word"Historical" in their title not know this very base piece of information?

sceptre

Originally posted by philcollins
St Patrick (who wasn't Irish)

Why, because he wasn't born here?

(cough, de Valera)

ishmael whale

So far as is known, St Patrick was born into either a Scottish or English family in the fourth century and seems to have no particular Irish ancestry. DeValera was born in New York in 1882, to an Irish mother and Spanish father, and grew up in Ireland from age two which makes overqualified for membership of the Irish soccer team.

scojones

Michael Collins! Erin go bragh!

SheroN

Robert Emett(sp?)