It’s a Love/Hate relationship.
Ireland have a lot heroes that the whole nation almost collectively loves.
But, for every Brian O’Driscoll and for each Mary McAleese, there are certain famous Irish figures that polarize right down the line.
Here are a few that immediately spring to mind.
Conor McGregor
Why people love him: The ‘Notorious’ is probably the biggest draw in one of the most passionately followed sports in the world. Crumlin’s finest proudly carries the Irish flag with him and is one of the few genuine world-class athletes that the country possesses. He is fearless, skillful and deadly and is a hugely positive influence on many youngsters.
Why he divides opinion: He’s brash, cocky, arrogant and haughty; essentially very un-Irish. A lot of people don’t take kindly to his attitude and wish he would be more humble following his regular victories. Basically, he knows how good he is and folk don’t take kindly to that.
Ronan O’Gara
Why people love him: ROG is one of the greatest Irish rugby players of all-time. He’s also honest, very honest in fact, a bit like another Cork man. Whether you like what he has to say or not, he’ll say it, and will usually make a lot of sense in the process. He also got Munster and Ireland out of many jams down the years with that legendary right boot of his.
Why he divides opinion: This writer distinctly remembers a post-match interview he gave after he led Munster to a last minute victory in the (then) Heineken Cup. Drinking from a cup on what was a miserably rainy day, the friendly English interviewer asked the match winner whether he was drinking tea. O’Gara very bluntly replied, ‘coffee’. His tone in that one word alone is the very reason people love or hate him.
Roy Keane
Why people love him: Is he the greatest Irish footballer in history? He’s certainly up there along with the likes of Liam Brady and Johnny Giles. That’s reason enough to love the Corkonian. The other is for his bullsh*t-free views on not just football, but life in general and he stands up for what he believes in at all times, no matter who the target is. Add to that his fantastic charity (in fairness, everyone on this list contributes brilliantly in that department) and you can see why Roy is loved my a score of Irish people.
Why he divides opinion: A lot of his naysayers will say that he abandoned Ireland at the World Cup for the sake of his pride, while countless others will be of the opinion that he is deliberately contrarian these days just to be difficult. Roy wasn’t backwards in coming forwards when criticising teammates (and even fans) either, which polarized many in the process.
Bono
Why people love him: Ireland’s most famous rock star son is responsible for some of the greatest tunes in rock history that have become legendary around the globe. As a result, Paul Hewson is one of the wealthiest Irish nationals and chooses to spend a lot of his money on extremely worthy causes. There are the known charities he donates to as well as the rumoured anonymous donations he has apparently given throughout the years. He has certainly given back.
Why he divides opinion: There is an oddly strong dislike for a lot of U2 songs, with many of those particular personnel pointing to the lead man as the reason. For every fan who insists that Bono is a living legend, the equally stubborn opposition will say that Bono is pompous and pretentious.
Eamon Dunphy
Why people love him: Put simply, he’s great value on the tellybox before and after matches. For admirers of the pundit, an Eamon Dunphy on form, with no hidden agenda, is unparalleled by most in the field of football analyst because he manages to bypass the general fluff (as he would say) that many in his position often default to and instead articulately expresses what the audience is feeling. Combine this with the ability to use sport as a microcosm of greater society and the experience can be a fascinating listen.
Why he divides opinion: For those that don’t take kindly to the Dubliner, these expert opinions can quickly turn into mindless rants with no real direction littered with out-dated references. You will regularly hear people who lean on this side of the fence say that Dunphy judges a book (they mean player) by its cover and is too stubborn to change his mind.
George Hook
Why people love him: Those who love him say that the Rugby World Cup is a much poorer place to be without Hook’s TV analysis. He is widely appreciated because although he has strong opinions and has a tendency to fall on the negative side of positive, he still manages to not take himself too seriously. This is endearing to many, which also translates to his radio gigs.
Why he divides opinion: In a recent TV interview, it was suggested to Hook that he is controversial for the sake of it. He was not impressed. At all. Yet, for those that can’t stand the broadcaster, this is one of the main arguments put forward to suggest that there are more agreeable options out there.
So, there you have it. Let us know if we have missed anybody out by hitting us up on Facebook or Twitter.
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