Best Irish Sporting Moment

Sport
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With @farmerinthecity mentioning Ire v Ita in 1994 as his favourite sporting moment I looked to see if we had a thread on this.
Top best Irish sporting moments on the international stage, obviously we’d be here all day if we were to lament around Limerick in 2’18 or the Kerry 4 in a row team so Irish excellence in sport are the reference points on this thread please.

I’ll start off, in no particular order

John Tracey winning Silver in LA 1984
Ireland Triple crown 1985
Barry McGuigan in Loftus Road, 1986
Stephen Roche’s season in 1987
, specifically fighting back v Delgado to lose only 4 seconds in the mountains
Ray Houghton v England 1988
The Penalty shootout Ireland v Romania 1990
Michael Carruth gold medal 1992
Eng v Ire 1993 in Twickenham, Geoghan in the corner

Actually I put all of those in chronological order :blush:

I think once you start drinking you loose the innocence of being mesmerised by great sporting achievements. USA 94 was grand but drink was involved so can’t remember a whole pile. Noble shout for Robbie Brady’s goal v Italy, some drink involved but not a whole pile. Outside Riordans and the whole place erupted, beer and burgers all over me :smiley:

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Aidan o brien training the 1-2-3 in the arc in 2016

Sea the stars winning the arc in 09.

Ireland beating New Zealand in Chicago in 2017.

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Sonia’s silver in the Olympics in 2000.

What a woman

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Steve Collins’ fights against Eubank were big moments too though a bit later than your list above.

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I would have derived more pleasure from local things like 95,97 and 2013 but on an international stage I can’t remember anything as big as the penalty shoot out in Genoa, in terms of happiness

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Dawn Run winning the Gold Cup

McGuigan v Pedroza

Stuttgart 88

Italia 90

Sonia 2000

Katie Taylor 2012

These transcended sport ;

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And Nigel Benn - twice!

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Eamon Coughlan Helsinki 1983, was unlucky in 76 & 80 Olympics.

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Should have said Coughlan in 83, unrale

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Collins had Eubank convinced he couldn’t be hurt because of a psychologist he was seeing.

Collins made himself absolutely box office and he wasnt even an exceptionally talented boxer.

I used to absolutely love watching Wayne McCullough fight. The bravest man that ever stepped between the ropes in my humble opinion

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The country used to stop when Sonia was in her prime, in Olympic, European or World finals.

Was gutted when those three Chinese beat her that time.

And, of course, Dzabo (spelling?)

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Watched that on the big screen at Féile, the whole place was gutted (and high)

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Collins x Eubank (2) & Benn were wonderful events but with the caveat that both were fighters in decline or more had lost their edge . Eubank after Watson & Benn after McClellan

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Szabo.

Largely, and correctly written out of history now, but Seashell Myth’s achievements in Atlanta were remarkable for the country at the time. Those medals still stand today,

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The game v the north to qualify for 94 was a huge occasion.

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That was a great one alright. Though watched it through the haze of around 10 cans of Fosters it was brilliant to see mcloughlans goal fly in.

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Collins fights against Eubank and Benn were in sky which probably lessen their impact.

Euro 88 was sensational,wasn’t a huge amount of football on tv them and to see an Irish team taking part was great

Always a soft spot for Michael Carruth winning gold in 1992

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Although obviously not a sporting moment in the true sense Dawn Run’s win in the Gold cup was a huge celebratory moment, we roared her home, great day.
Treacy in 84 was amazing, we were on holiday in Youghal and my old fella woke me up at around mile 16 and we watched it wrapped in the duvet, he was a gutsy little fucker.
Coughlan in 83 was brilliant, he was my hero as a young lad, that was his moment, all the indoor records meant very little but that was just brilliant, the glance at the Russian was a bit naughty but i didn’t care about that.
Sonia and Szabo duking it out in the last 100 was heart in your mouth stuff, everybody was delighted for Sonia but the gold was so close.
Barry McGuigan really caught the nations imagination like no other boxer, great nights watching him as well.
I was a Kelly fan so i wasn’t that bothered about Roche personally.

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The football team at a Euros or World Cup really stops the country. There isn’t another sporting event that comes close to having such an impact, not even an All-Ireland final.

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@Locke can you please ensure that pony whipping entries are removed from this fine thread on account of not being a sport?

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