West Cork. Different world!
Not a double gold, but a double medallist alright. Only won silver in Rio.
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I was in the Pheonix Park high on poitin, waiting for Simple Minds to come on, announced to the crowd to raucous roars (Coughlan winning, not me being locked out of my mind). U2 then after as headliners, earlier we had Eurythmics, Big Country and a few locals like Light a Big Fire I think. Great days, particular memory being Annie Lennox singing Satellite of Love from Lou Reed’s legendary Transformer album
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Couglan’s win was in the inaugural world championships. It was like winning the Centenary Cup. Olympic games are where it’s at when it comes to judging this stuff.
Sonia was in a different league. She was cheated out of an olympic gold by Szabo a proven doper. I’ve always admired the dignity she has shown to this day in not complaining or moaning about what must have been a hard defeat to take.
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At that stage, after the two previous Olympic collapses I think she was simply overjoyed to get over the line and get a performance on that stage. I always did find it strange she never once made anything more of Szabo, perhaps given they had such a rivalry there was something more there between them. It would be interesting to dig deeper on that with her something if the right journalist or opportunity came along.
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John Treacy Olympic Marathon 1984
Stephen Roche TDF 1987
2004 Munster Final
This guy fucks. I’d swap the 2004 Munster Final for the 2003 Leinster Football Final but Gods make their own importance. Roche and Treacy were totemic moments of not just Irish sport, but Irish history. Roche was off the charts, an Irish fella on a bike taking it to the greats on the most iconic course in one of the biggest world sporting events, and nearly killing himself in the endeavour. A great story. Young MBB was rightly impressed and went out and opened a BOI account later that month and got his free Stephen Roche yellow jersey that he hung on a hanger and never once dared to wear it. Shur hadnt Stephen himself signed it, you couldnt wear it. Must see if I can find it some day I’m home.
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McAteers goal vs Holland. My word
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Carruth at the Olympics.
Sonia (any host of them) - the whole country used to stop and watch her in big finals in her prime. She was Box Office.
Houghton ‘88.
Timofte against Bonnar.
Ciaran’s point in ‘96. One of those ‘I was there’ moments.
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Ireland 1-0 Italy, 1994 World Cup, Giants Stadium
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It says a lot for Ireland when someone finishing second is seen as the greatest sporting moment.
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Dennis Taylor 1985
Gaff packed - roof lifted
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Olympics arent the same as other mickey mouse sports, coming second in the Marathon is a massive achievement, especially for a fella from Waterford in the LA heat and he practically a nobody.
Padraig Harrington, Carnoustie 2007 and Royal Birkdale 2008.
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Steve Collins beating Chris Eubank twice and Nigel Benn twice.
1980 all Ireland final.
Ginger Mcloughlin.
The End.
I would place the defeat against Italy in Italia 90 above the Giants Stadium in USA 94.
That stage with the oxygen was absolutely epic.
Doping spoils the story a bit.
It never gets mentioned but Ireland were really, really good at the 2002 World Cup. Went toe to toe with the eventual finalists and played Spain off the park too. And all missus our best player.
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Duffer was there?