Famous Foreign People in Irish Sport

mikemac1

Ah Roche and Kelly

They did exhibition tours around Ireland, every kid in a primary school would come out to wave at them
Waiting for ages just to see them flash by, teachers would cancel class just to let a few hundred kids stand in the yard waiting

National heros

Nobody has ever come close

Katie Taylor despite her achievement will never generate the hype that existed in the late eighties and early nineties

Wacker The Attacker

Seanchai wrote: »

They won shag all, and the soccer tactics were horribly defensive! They only made it to the quarter finals. Stephen Roche actually won the premier race of a genuinely world sport, racing. Arguably, the Tour de France is one of the toughest competitions of any sport. He won. He didn't just win a place in the last 8. Given the enormous money invested in cycling in France, Spain, the US and Italy this was unique in Irish sporting history.

Who cares?

Dyr

Seanchai wrote: »

How did you work this out?

He was from up there in the north, over the border like. Represented Norn Iron and that. There are many clues

Seanchai

Bambi wrote: »

He was from up there in the north, over the border like. Represented Norn Iron and that. There are many clues

:rolleyes:. Oh, and not to highlight your abject ignorance any further but Dennis Taylor represented Ireland in no fewer than three World Cups: 1985, 1986 and 1987.

Seanchai

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

Who cares?

You, evidently.

nbar12

I don't know if anyone has mentioned Stephen Jones yet...for anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, here's a little reminder...

The_Kew_Tour

Goran Stavrevski

Balmed Out

Trent Johnston
Two eldest o'hailpins born in fiji and oz but I think schillachi is no 1. in the spirit of the thread

Omackeral

mikemac1 wrote: »

Nicolas Cruz from Cuba

Trained the Irish boxers back in the nineties when Carruth and McCullough were winning medals

I don't know what he is doing nowadays

He trains wardens and inmates in Irish Prisons, if you can believe that. Teaches yoga too. Hell of a nice man.

Fritzl Funderland

Gary Twigg

RikkFlair

Gaizka Mendieta....poxy peno

Rented Mule

Super-Rush wrote: »

Ray Houghton and Ray Houghton.

Two biggest goals in the history of the Republic.

uch

Gary McKay

baalthor

Masal Bugduv

Columbia

Seanchai wrote: »

Stephen Roche actually won

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

Who cares?

Jesus Christ, you must be joking. Why do you even watch sports if you don't care who wins?

Old_-_School

Seanchai wrote: »

It was, and remains, amazing that a country of 5-6 million people could produce somebody to win the premier competition of a genuinely worldwide sport. To me, Stephen Roche's victory is still the greatest by any Irish person in international sport - easily up there with the Olympic gold medals, and far surpassing any Irish soccer or rugby victories.

Tainted by the fact that Roche was found guilty in a French court of anti-doping violations.

Dyr

Seanchai wrote: »

:rolleyes:. Oh, and not to highlight your abject ignorance any further but Dennis Taylor represented Ireland in no fewer than three World Cups: 1985, 1986 and 1987.

maybe my memory is going but my boyhood recollection was him and mr higgins were play fur de north when they had a bit of a bust up. Or alex had a bust up more likely

Wouldnt swear on it in a court of law but that's my memory.

SocSocPol

Old_-_School wrote: »

Tainted by the fact that Roche was found guilty in a French court of anti-doping violations.

Untrue, absolutley untrue.

SocSocPol

Eusabio Pedroza lost his world title to Barry McGuigan at loftus Road in 85

tdv123

Chris Eubank & Nigel Benn.

HalloweenJack

I remember for years in school, if you scored a jammy goal, all the other lads would say: "Look at Schillacci there!"

Bear in mind, we all would have been about 1 or 2 in 1990 so none of us could actually remember that game, we just had the story handed down to us.

GerM

SocSocPol wrote: »

Untrue, absolutley untrue.

Untrue but he was found guilty in an Italian court but the statute of limitations had elapsed and no action could be taken.

Regardless of drug taking, I'd have rated Kelly as the greatest.

Wacker The Attacker

RikkFlair wrote: »

Gaizka Mendieta....poxy peno

Not as poxy as Ian Hartes in normal time

Pherekydes

John 3:16 seems to appear at nearly every Irish sporting occasion. I believe he's a furriner.

Pherekydes

Thierry Henry mentioned yet?

And Roy Keane. He's not Irish; he's Corkonian.

Lapin

kfallon wrote: »

I was just saying to me sister in law in bed this morning......

What the ?


Anyway - My most famous foreigner in Irish sport is Lester Piggott.

He rode a shítload of winners for Vincent O'Brien including 4 Derby victories.

Lapin

Pherekydes wrote: »

And Roy Keane. He's not Irish; he's Corkonian.

And they can fcuking have him.

SocSocPol

GerM wrote: »

Untrue but he was found guilty in an Italian court but the statute of limitations had elapsed and no action could be taken.

Regardless of drug taking, I'd have rated Kelly as the greatest.

Again untrue, he was never found guilty in any court in any country.
One french magistrate said he believed that Roche was administered epo in 1993 but because of the statute of limitations he could neither charge nor prosecute Roche.

Wacker The Attacker

Columbia wrote: »

Jesus Christ, you must be joking. Why do you even watch sports if you don't care who wins?

Go back and read it again.

That comment wasnt made about Stephen Roche

Wacker The Attacker

Lapin wrote: »

What the ?


Anyway - My most famous foreigner in Irish sport is Lester Piggott.

He rode a shítload of winners for Vincent O'Brien including 4 Derby victories.

As opposed to his sister in law

Tombo2001

Russian bloke that Eamon Coghlan ran past on the final bend of his World Championships 5000m, that he took a look at him and raised his arms in the air as he ran past him.

No clue what his name was but remember very clearly what he looks like, had nerdy glasses you would never see on an athlete nowadays. Finished fourth in the end.

Al Blue Lewis, fought Muhammed Ali in Croker in the 1970s.

Kenenisa Bekele, (arguably) greatest long distance runner of all time who took the first of five world cross championship wins in Dublin in 2002.

David Campese: scored a last minute try to deny Ireland what would have been their greatest ever rugby victory.

AllGunsBlazing

Tombo2001 wrote: »

.David Campese: scored a last minute try to deny Ireland what would have been their greatest ever rugby victory.

I'm not a big rugby fan at all, but I watched that game, and it was the first thing that popped into my head when reading this thread.


Couldn't remember his name though, as I said - not a big rugger fan.;)

The_Kew_Tour

Tombo2001 wrote: »

David Campese: scored a last minute try to deny Ireland what would have been their greatest ever rugby victory.

Wasn't Campese! it was Michael Lynagh.

The amount of people who thought it was Campese.

Hank_Jones

I'd say Roberto Baggio.

In that he was considered the best player in the world at the time,
but got completely shut out by a 34 year old Paul McGrath at USA 94.

retalivity

Wim Jonk and his 30yarder

Thundercats Ho

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Russian bloke that Eamon Coghlan ran past on the final bend of his World Championships 5000m, that he took a look at him and raised his arms in the air as he ran past him..

When i was around 8 or so i was running at the community games. I was in last place at the turn but overtook the lad in front of me to finish 2nd last. My da told me i was just like eamon coghlan. I dont think ive felt as proud since! Looking back in hindsight, he was probably just saying it so i wouldnt cry for being so shíte at athletics.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Adam Thompson, the man who ran in the last try of NZ's record win of 60-0 against the overrated pampered Paddies.

A dark day indeed.

Duckworth_Luas

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Adam Thompson, the man who ran in the last try of NZ's record win of 60-0 against the overrated pampered Paddies.

A dark day indeed.

No, no it wasn't!

As a former rugby player I fully aware that the vast majority of Irish people had no idea that the game even took place.

Don't call them paddies ether, they are Irishmen representing their country.

Cookie_Monster

Eddie Irvine

Duckworth_Luas wrote: »

No, no it wasn't!

yes it was, it was embarrassingly bad and you could see it on their faces that they all knew it too. However it's the only time of those 3 matches that the Kiwi interviewed weren't up their own holes about winning.
They still take the piss about it in work every week (i'm in NZ)

Duckworth_Luas

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Eddie Irvine



yes it was, it was embarrassingly bad and you could see it on their faces that they all knew it too. However it's the only time of those 3 matches that the Kiwi interviewed weren't up their own holes about winning.
They still take the piss about it in work every week (i'm inNZ)

My point is that 95% of Irish people did not even care! It hardly even made the news here with Euro 2012 and GAA championship. If we beat New Zealand 3-0 in soccer who in Auckland would care?

Wacker The Attacker

kfallon wrote: »

I was just saying to me sister in law in bed this morning that nobody in Ireland with a passion for sport (and some without) will forget the name Ochigava for the rest of their life. It got me thinking of non-Irish people who will forever be associated with Irish Sporting Memories (good or bad). A couple spring to mind such as:

Daniel Timofte: He's the Romanian guy who rather politely passed the ball back to Packie Bonner during THAT penalty shoot out in 1990 in Genoa. Here he is today
http://www.mesagerulhunedorean.ro/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/11-x-1-daniel-timofte.jpg

Gary Mackay: scored the winner for Scotland against Bulgaria in 1987 for a shock Scotland victory in Sofia that ensured Ireland qualified for Euro '88. Will never have to buy a pint in Ireland for the rest of his life.

I can think of a few more but I'll give someone else a go :P

Mods, I know this is not a Sport forum but can we leave it here as there is no general sport forum to put it into, thanks in advance!

I forgot it by 6 O'Clock on Thursday

Wacker The Attacker

mikemac1 wrote: »

The All Blacks in 1978

Matt Cooper and a lot of other fans never shut up about a meaningless exhibition game which Munster won

I woz there........

One of the many irish sporting occasions where 10,000 were there but 100,000 people will tell you they were there.

razorblunt

Alfie Inge Haaland
Mick McCarthy

ballsymchugh

wim keift and his offside goal in euro 88.

paddy147

kfallon wrote: »

I was just saying to me sister in law in bed this morning!

Eh hello...:eek::D

















Only joking.:)

Sunnyisland

Seán Óg Ó hAilpín (born 22 May 1977 in Rotuma, Fiji .

Elmer Blooker

John Atyeo. Dalymount 1957.
A World Cup qualifier Ireland 1 England 0, 89 mins gone and the crowd going berserk until Atyeo sticks in the net to make it 1-1. From what I've heard you could hear a pin drop as the devastated punters left Dalier.
Listen to Philip Greene's commentary at 2.30.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmzdzOIBEtM

Tombo2001

Thundercats Ho wrote: »

When i was around 8 or so i was running at the community games. I was in last place at the turn but overtook the lad in front of me to finish 2nd last. My da told me i was just like eamon coghlan. I dont think ive felt as proud since! Looking back in hindsight, he was probably just saying it so i wouldnt cry for being so shíte at athletics.

thats what dads are for.

Tombo2001

Herb Elliot, set the world mile record in Santry, when it was a big, big, big deal....
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/athlete-elliot-went-extra-mile-1448381.html

AskMyChocolate

Seanchai wrote: »

Eusebio Pedroza (1985), Steve Davis (1985) and, most of all, Pedro Delgado (1987).

I remember Eusebio Pedroza, who was beaten by Barry McGuigan in 1985. I also remember McGuigan being sponsored by Irish Permanent: the people's choice, "Thank You very much Mr Eastwood" and his father singing Danny Boy. It was a great night, tarnished by McGuigan's later whinging against Barney Eastwood and most of all by McGuigan abandoning Ireland and taking out British citizenship. Yes, he won a great fight, but what a myopic idiot.


Another famous one is Steve Davis, who while brilliant always seemed to be unhappy. I remember about 20 people at home watching the snooker World Final between him and Dennis Taylor, who always seemed to be happy. Davis was widely considered the best player in the world, so we didn't expect Dennis to win. The match seemed, to my young eyes, to go on forever into the early morning. I remember they did all these snooker tricks as a show beforehand and they were fascinating.

But when Taylor finally won, it was absolutely brilliant in the dark, emigration-filled days of 1985. Unlike today, of course! Ahem.

Most of all, who could forget Spain's Pedro Delgado. What an absolutely amazing sportsman. When Stephen Roche beat him to win the Tour de France in 1987 it was extraordinary. It went on so long that everybody in the country knew all about Pedro Delgado by the end of it.

It was, and remains, amazing that a country of 5-6 million people could produce somebody to win the premier competition of a genuinely worldwide sport. To me, Stephen Roche's victory is still the greatest by any Irish person in international sport - easily up there with the Olympic gold medals, and far surpassing any Irish soccer or rugby victories.[/QUOTE]

Possibly by any Irish person, however, I would say that Dawn Run's achievements remain the greatest by any Irish sports star and may never be repeated by any other horse and almost certainly not by any mare.