Who is/was Ireland's most famous sports star?

Oasis1974

What about George Best must be up there.

R.F.

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

But again, they would be wrong.

What about footballers that have died on the pitch? Boxers?

People die in Motor Sport every year. And this is also considered a sport

Omackeral

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

What about footballers that have died on the pitch? Boxers?

List of boxing related deaths

xckjoo

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Ah I dunno. Load of ppl would strongly say it’s not a sport and all involved should be arrested for assault.

Especially after that mma “participant” dying a few year ago in Dublin

Do you mean that you don't feel it should be a sanctioned sport? Because it would be hard to deny it qualifies as a sport.

Surely fighting is the oldest sport? Followed soon after by running

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

RocketRaccoon wrote: »

So let me get this straight...

This man is well known among possibly BILLIONS of cricket fans the world over. But because he's not as well known in Ireland, he can't be all that famous.

Well he's known as an English player. That's enough really to disbar him from being Ireland's most famous sports star.

Sure there's a lot of people in India, but what does that translate to in a meaningful way. I mean Brian O Driscoll has a lot more Twitter followers than him. That at least is some tangible metric.

I mean no offense to Bangladesh, most of their population live on a few dollars a day, so Eoin Morgan being known by BILLIONS of people seems like a stretch to me. I'm not saying he's not well known. But people here are definitely over selling the population argument.

Uncharted

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Most people don’t even consider it a sport

Some people are stupid.

Some people believe the Earth is flat.

Beechwoodspark

xckjoo wrote: »

Do you mean that you don't feel it should be a sanctioned sport? Because it would be hard to deny it qualifies as a sport.

Surely fighting is the oldest sport? Followed soon after by running

Just a general sentiment among ppl I encounter (I drive around Ireland weekly-rural and urban locations, encountering retail staff-you can probably guess what I do for a living)

Just general comments like “it’s not a sport, it’s organised brutality” “human blood sport” “why is it not banned?” “One step above bare knuckle fighting out in the bog” “desperate violent”

These are the usual comments. I rarely if ever hear ppl say “mma is a legitimate sport”

facehugger99

I wouldn't call MMA a sport so definitely not that Mcgregor fcukwit - it's more of a blood-spectacle for the mouth-breathers. Sure was't he easily defeated by a retired boxer when he did try his hand at an actual sport?

I'd say McIlroy.

Omackeral

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

These are the usual comments. I rarely if ever hear ppl say “mma is a legitimate sport”

Do you know what MMA is? It's an amalgamation of Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Sambo, amateur wrestling among others. Some of these are literally thousands of years old. They're not only sports, they're Olympic sports. Olympians have competed in MMA.

Omackeral

facehugger99 wrote: »

Sure was't he easily defeated by a retired boxer when he did try his hand at an actual sport?

Non-boxer defeated by one of the greatest boxers of all time. Shocking.

Uncharted

facehugger99 wrote: »

I wouldn't call MMA a sport so definitely not that Mcgregor fcukwit - it's more of a blood-spectacle for the mouth-breathers. Sure was't he easily defeated by a retired boxer when he did try his hand at an actual sport?

I'd say McIlroy.

Mouth-breathers?

facehugger99

Omackeral wrote: »

Non-boxer defeated by one of the greatest boxers of all time. Shocking.

Sure plenty of journeymen fighters have went the distance with Mayweather when he was in his prime. I'm given to understand Mcgregor was coughing up a lung with exhaustion after a few rounds and Mayweather didn't have to break sweat - despite the fact he's been chillin' out for a few years eating Cheetos.

Like I say, he's hardly a 'sports' star - shouldn't be in the conversation TBH.

Tombo2001

Apparently rugby is more dangerous, when measured by number and level of injury, than MMA.....

pimpmyhat

sbsquarepants wrote: »

There's 2 brazillians work here with me - out of interest I've just asked them both do they know who George Best is, not a clue! Neither knew of McIlroy and both new McGregor.


Now, I could use a bigger sample size (5 or 6 maybe:D)

But, statistics don't lie. In a recent poll 0% of Brazilians had heard of Best or McIlroy, whereas 100% had heard of McGregor

Yes but had two Brazilians been asked in the 1960s /70s I'm sure they would of known of George Best then.

If two Brazilians were to be asked in 2070 did they know of McGregor they probably wouldn't 😀

salmocab

This is great, people don’t like a particular sport so dismiss the people that are in it. Ridiculous statements. Mc Gregor is and whether you like or hate mma that’s not going to change it, why you’d care is worrying. I dislike mma but don’t feel the need to dismiss it.
Also dismissing a cricketer because it’s not big here is silly.

JustJoe7240

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Apparently rugby is more dangerous, when measured by number and level of injury, than MMA.....

Hardly surprising considering participation levels?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Tombo2001 wrote: »

You wouldnt think you would have to state the obvious but some times you do.

Ireland has 4 million people.

India has 1350 million people.

Pakistan has 200 million people.

Bangladesh has 150 million people.

Cricket is BY FAR the most popular sport in these countries. Cricket is way more popular in India than Gaelic Football is in Ireland, it is way out there in front of every other sport.

Eoin Morgan is Captain of one of the best cricket teams on the planet.

If famous means "how many people have heard of you" then he is an extremely famous man.

Maybe it means something else. Maybe it means how many of the your buddies have heard of him.....in which case he is not famous at all.

I think this is the fairest barometer of how big cricket is in those countries.

The total attendance figures over a season.

Indy Car (Motor racing) - 1,555,772
The Indian Premier League (Cricket) - 1,543,655
Indian Super League (Association football) - 1,477,033
Liga Venezolana de Beisbol (Baseball) - 1,275,317
Big Bash League (Cricket) - 1,053,997
Bangladesh Premier League (Cricket) - 742,000
Super GT (Motor racing) - 278,900

List of sports attendance figures

Cricket is not doing too badly. But not exactly off the chart. Baseball in Venezuela does bigger numbers. 2 billion people does not translate into billions attending games anyway.

Uncharted

facehugger99 wrote: »

Sure plenty of journeymen fighters have went the distance with Mayweather when he was in his prime. I'm given to understand Mcgregor was coughing up a lung with exhaustion after a few rounds and Mayweather didn't have to break sweat - despite the fact he's been chillin' out for a few years eating Cheetos.

Like I say, he's hardly a 'sports' star - shouldn't be in the conversation TBH.

You're completely hung up on the notion that MMA is not a sport. This seems to be why you're not willing to include Mcgregor as a sportsman.

This seems to be the crux of your argument.

Now that is out is established,what are you basing your opinion,that MMA is not a sport, on?

xckjoo

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Just a general sentiment among ppl I encounter (I drive around Ireland weekly-rural and urban locations, encountering retail staff-you can probably guess what I do for a living)

Just general comments like “it’s not a sport, it’s organised brutality” “human blood sport” “why is it not banned?” “One step above bare knuckle fighting out in the bog” “desperate violent”

These are the usual comments. I rarely if ever hear ppl say “mma is a legitimate sport”

Weird that it comes up so often in conversation. I do jiu jitsu, watch MMA and am probably still (just) within the age bracket it's most popular with, yet it never comes up. I don't think it's once come up in a casual conversation with a relative stranger. Hardly even discuss fights or fighters at training and it's an MMA gym.

Anyway, personal opinion does not dictate if something is a sport or not.

Beechwoodspark

xckjoo wrote: »

Weird that it comes up so often in conversation. I do jiu jitsu, watch MMA and am probably still (just) within the age bracket it's most popular with, yet it never comes up. I don't think it's once come up in a casual conversation with a relative stranger. Hardly even discuss fights or fighters at training and it's an MMA gym.

Anyway, personal opinion does not dictate if something is a sport or not.

It came up in general conversation any time mcg was in the headlines in the papers.

I would be in shops where newspapers are prominent and we would chit chat about stuff in the papers.

odyssey06

Omackeral wrote: »

Do you know what MMA is? It's an amalgamation of Boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Karate, Sambo, amateur wrestling among others. Some of these are literally thousands of years old. They're not only sports, they're Olympic sports. Olympians have competed in MMA.

They haven't competed at the Olympics *at* MMA though?

xckjoo

pimpmyhat wrote: »

Yes but had two Brazilians been asked in the 1960s /70s I'm sure they would of known of George Best then.

Only if they followed European Club football, which wouldn't have been common. They've enough football going on over there to keep them busy and there was no internet to follow matches.

pimpmyhat wrote: »

If two Brazilians were to be asked in 2070 did they know of McGregor they probably wouldn't ��

MMA is huge in Brazil. One of the cornerstones of MMA is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which (surprisingly) comes from Brazil. They're very proud of it.



You picked poor examples

shamrock55

At the moment I'd say Katie taylor

Ush1

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

It’s a sad reflection on society that cage fighting is even counted as a sport. The almost pornographic desire from its fans to see blood spilled, faces kicked, and bones broken. That primal need for violence they cannot control. The unresolved anger issues.

Does it make you feel emasculated to see real men?

Ush1

facehugger99 wrote: »

Sure plenty of journeymen fighters have went the distance with Mayweather when he was in his prime. I'm given to understand Mcgregor was coughing up a lung with exhaustion after a few rounds and Mayweather didn't have to break sweat - despite the fact he's been chillin' out for a few years eating Cheetos.

Like I say, he's hardly a 'sports' star - shouldn't be in the conversation TBH.

How do you think Mayweather would get on in an MMA fight in a cage with McGregor?

It sure as f*ck wouldn't go 11 rounds!:pac:

Cienciano

McGregor definitely.

tototoe

pleas advice wrote: »

Inspired by another thread here, who do you think would make the list?

I'd have Roy Keane at the top, followed by Rory McIlroy and Brian O'Driscoll, who else would make the top 5?

Brian O'Driscoll ( as good as he was) is very far from world famous.

begbysback

xckjoo wrote: »

MMA is huge in Brazil. One of the cornerstones of MMA is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which (surprisingly) comes from Brazil. They're very proud of it.



You picked poor examples

This means nothing, French fries anyone?

xckjoo

begbysback wrote: »

This means nothing, French fries anyone?

What?

The Tetrarch

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Three most famous by a long distance are
(i) McGregor
(ii) McIlroy
(iii) Eoin Morgan.

No-one else comes close to these.

I had to look up (iii). Never heard of him.
McGregor would be infamous.
Liam Brady would be well known, more imo than Roy Keane.
Sean Kelly would be the most famous Irish sports person.

begbysback

xckjoo wrote: »

What?

French fries originated in Belgium

Edgware

The Tetrarch wrote: »

I had to look up (iii). Never heard of him.
McGregor would be infamous.
Liam Brady would be well known, more imo than Roy Keane.
Sean Kelly would be the most famous Irish sports person.

Not everyone follows the M.E.P.s

Omackeral

The Tetrarch wrote: »

Sean Kelly would be the most famous Irish sports person.

Absolutely not.

Diceicle

Who is/was Ireland's most famous sports star?

Most famous sports star in Ireland? Roy Keane (probably)
Most famous sports star Ireland has produced? Conor McGregor (without question)

Go to Russia, the Philippines or wherever and ask about Katie Taylor, Sean Kelly or any other sports star (with a possible exception of McIlroy) and I would wager you'd be met with blank stares almost every time. McGregors name is far more recognizable.

The Tetrarch

McGregor is not known for sport.
He is known for bad behaviour.

salmocab

The Tetrarch wrote: »

McGregor is not known for sport.
He is known for bad behaviour.

If he wasn’t very famous from a sports point of view you would never hear of his bad behavior

yourdeadwright

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

UFC is popular amongst two main elements - criminals, and relatively young men with anger issues. There’s billions of people on this planet who have never heard of it, never watched one of those boring cage fights, or ever had the displeasure of seeing that gurning moron, McGregor.

Not a huge fan myself but the above is so wrong,

Combat sports are huge in so many countries around the world, eg Russia ,Brazil ,USA

You may be right about Irish fans but not on a world wide level

I'd say 80 % of people who practise Martial arts world wide would be aware of the UFC and its top star's

I'd bet ever college wrestler in the United States knows who McGregor is ,

Its a strange one because its not just MMA people who know Connor it people in boxing, wrestling, Bjj, sambo , Thai boxing, Judo they would all have heard of him ,

feargale

Tombo2001 wrote: »

No convinced. Big deal in the British Isles, never played in the world cup. Would an average Brazilian know him?

Alot of great players never made the World Cup. He himself said that if he had been born ugly Pele would never have been heard of.

yourdeadwright

Mysterypunter wrote: »

Hakan Sukur? Turkey finished 3rd

The Bull of the Bosphorus, what a man

xckjoo

begbysback wrote: »

French fries originated in Belgium

So what does that have to do with the fact that MMA and BJJ are huge in Brazil? Nothing? Exactly.

odyssey06

McGregor is also disqualified by virtue of being the self declared most notorious, not the most famous, surely?
:_)

LordBasil

McGregor, for reasons already outlined.

Also Roy Keane, the Saipan Saga made global headlines in 2002.

odyssey06

The Tetrarch wrote: »

Sean Kelly would be the most famous Irish sports person.

Sean Kelly is a legend in cycling, but even in the 80s would have only been heard of in Ireland, the major European cycling countries e.g. Belgium, France, Italy, Spain; and in the cycling communities in other countries, which is a niche sport.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Roy Keane was probably just as famous as McGregor, if not more so. Many people here are judging McGregor's fame by his popularity in the US. KeanE didn't get that kind of attention from Americans, but he was definitely known in any country where soccer was a popular sport.

Omackeral

I think potentially another way to gauge someone's fame is asking different generations. Would your parents know who someone is, that you know? Would your grandparents? Would a 10 year old?

If it goes across generations, it's a good clue. My 8 year old nephew would know who Conor McGregor is. So would my mother. I think my grandmother probably would too. Not many other sports stars would tick all those boxes.

My nan and mother would know Mike Tyson but the child wouldn't. The child and myself would know Neymar but my grandmother wouldn't.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

In relation to Robbie Keane, back in 2013 and 2014, he was the only Irish sportsperson people in Asia and South America wanted to talk about. Again, we can't judge global fame by what Americans think.

begbysback

Omackeral wrote: »

I think potentially another way to gauge someone's fame is asking different generations. Would your parents know who someone is, that you know? Would your grandparents? Would a 10 year old?

If it goes across generations, it's a good clue. My 8 year old nephew would know who Conor McGregor is. So would my mother. I think my grandmother probably would too. Not many other sports stars would tick all those boxes.

My nan and mother would know Mike Tyson but the child wouldn't. The child and myself would know Neymar but my grandmother wouldn't.

Your 8 yr old, mother and nan all know you, this then means your are more famous than Tyson, Neymar and Mcgregor.

Legend

Rubberchikken

christy ring.

The_Kew_Tour

If your going by fame then Sean Kelly has be up there.

Was not a Sports person in Europe who did not know who he was in 80s and early 90s

salmocab

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

In relation to Robbie Keane, back in 2013 and 2014, he was the only Irish sportsperson people in Asia and South America wanted to talk about. Again, we can't judge global fame by what Americans think.

Think your the only one that’s bringing America into it really. The likes of MC Gregor and McIroy are famous all over Mc Gregor in particular but as people pointed out earlier Eoin Morgan would be very well known in some very big countries with colossal populations and relatively unknown here.