Ah mate, why would you bite.
I like to come along and throw a few slaps every now and then, before disappearing when the regular crowd shuffle in and it all turns to shite
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So they got to the same stage as the rugby team in their respective world cups. Noted with thanks
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It is fucking stupid though.
There is skill to it, at both ends
Only 10 or 12 countries take soccer seriously, just because its played worldwide doesnt mean anything. Look at Eire, ranked what 30 in the world and their elite players cant kick the ball to each other. they are probably on a par with the Kenya or Brazil rubby teams.
Any mention of Marcus O’Sullivan in the 80’s one lads? He’s a very overlooked athlete. 3 World Indoor Golds.
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Exactly, wouldn’t it be a remarkable achievement for Kenya’s rugby team to beat England or qualify for the last 8 of the World Cup.
Good point.
Howecer Ireland had a serious set of players then.
Proper top quality and a very balanced group as well in terms of strengths
There was talk that he should have been included in the 90’s one. Didn’t get close I think.
As @TheUlteriorMotive always maintains, winning world titles in individual athletics events is a far bigger achievement that a team winning a game as plucky underdogs. Unfortunately it doesn’t capture the imagination of the public in the same way. What O’Sullivan did over her lifetime will likely never be done again by an Irish athlete. The fact she did it all while clean (as far as we know) makes it all the more remarkable as she was surrounded by drug cheats.
As sourpuss O’Rourke reminded us, Sonia was World Athlete of the year in 1995. Thats the equivalent of Usain Bolt now. Its so far beyond winning a penalty shootout its ridiculous but athletics will never carry the same love or affection as soccerball.
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Dave O’Leary started for Arsenal and couldn’t get a game for us. We haven’t one lad playing at that level these days, never mind a sub.
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Eire soccer do have one particularly noteworthy World Cup feat. I believe they are the only side in 20 soccer World Cups to make it to the quarter finals without winning a match.
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Eire were ranked 6 or 8 in the world in or around that time, Big jack had gathered up all those english and scotch lads like cascarino townsend aldridge houghten morris etc who assumed they wouldnt be getting a game with their own country.
different times now.
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I’d say that’s. Because anybody can run around a field or jump over a gate. There’s no skill in it. It’s not like a magnifificent volley into the top corner or striking a sliothar out of your hand on the run or a jink and offload
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Don’t know where you’re getting this 8 team rugby World Cup from. There were 20 finalists in the 2015 World Cup Finals and 96 in total when you factor in the qualifiers.
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I get that. I guess what people don’t understand is the amount of training needed to be a world class athlete is far more challenging and demanding. It’s one of the loneliest things you can do as a professional sports person. And there’s little to no money to be made from it for most Irish athletes.
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That’s just the way it is though and they’re the choices people take. If they had it in them they could participate in a sport people actually care about.
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We have all scored better goals than Ray Houghton
With jumpers for goalposts.
What o’sullivan did in sporting terms was incredible. And superior. But Houghton’s goal captured a feeling.
Dozens of top class players play hurling every year at highest level. Not that difficult. Winning a world championship in track and field is way above it in terms of number of people who can do it.
More people have climbed Everest than have run under 4 minutes for a mile.
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The timeline is ridiculous. Ronnie Delaney winning the 1500 in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 is the greatest sporting moment.
I’d agree with that. I don’t think any GAA stuff should even be in the running for it.
Nor should eventually winning a six team tournament that we participate in every year.
Irish distance running in the 80’s was remarkable.
I’ve mentioned it on here before, but Frank O’Mara a Limerick man is almost completely forgotten from that era and he won 2 x 3,000m World indoors.
Obviously Coghlan and Treacy as well.
Ray Flynn was another very successful runner at the time and O’Sullivan, Flynn, Coghlan & O’Mara still hold the World 4x1 mile relay record.
Treacy, Sullivan & Flynn still hold a lot of Irish records which when you think of training advancements in the meantime is incredible.