Ireland's Greatest Person...

One of Hume's quotes was, " you can't eat a flag " likewise you can't eat a novel or a poem. Hume has made an impact on more lives on this island than Yeats, Wilde or Joyce, and I'm an avid reader.
 
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Nano Nagle and Edmund Rice, Daniel O'Connell, Parnell, Thomas Davitt, Edmund Burke, Jim Larkin, Dean Swift, (Britain can have Sir Terence Wogan in exchange).

But perhaps above all the dozens, hundreds and thousands of individuals who needed courage to keep civil society and cross-community dialogue alive in northern Ireland during the years when the paramilitaries and much of the official military did their best to destroy it.
 
Btb. I am certainly not endorsing de valera ....

Duke of wellington anyone ? Irish born as I recall
 
Not knocking Hume, he certainly played his part, but was one of many to do so. I think the role of David Trimble has been vastly underrated in bringing the Unionists onside. IMO at least an equal claim to the title as Hume.
 
Wot? No BRENDAN BEHAN, bejaysus, begorrah? Ireland's produced loads of superb poets, actors, and some fine politicians - whether you like/d the Republican movement or not. I hate these 'best' comps, though, because it's no good trying to line up someone in the Arts with someone from Economics or the farthest reaches of political radicalism. "Ireland's Top 50" might be more apt. You can't overlook its glorious racing heritage, either, put on the map through Vincent O'Brien so dramatically.
 
I agree with Bar The Bull that the omission of a single poet/writer is pretty shocking. At the same time I can understand why the likes of Joyce or Yeats wouldn't have received widespread public support.

I have no issue with Bono whatsoever, but would agree that his inclusion on the list is totally undeserved.

I would personally have De Valera on the list as well. And Collins off it. But, all things considered, both should really be on it.
 
clivex said:
Btb. I am certainly not endorsing de valera ....

Duke of wellington anyone ? Irish born as I recall
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Wellington was born in Ireland and had his primary schooling there.

Wellington was Prime Minister when Catholic emancipation was introduced in 1829, and he spoke in its favour in the House of Lords. Mind you he also fought a duel following accusations that he had "treacherously plotted the destruction of the Protestant constitution".

He is not remembered as having any great affinity with Ireland. Indeed there is a story, possibly apocryphal, about his reply to somebody who reminded him of his Irish origins: "Being born in a stable doesn't make one a horse".

There is an oversized monument to him in the Phoenix Park. At 62m tall it's the largest obelisk in the world after the Washington monument. Dublin also has a Wellesley Bridge and a Wellington Quay.
 
Beckett was much greater than Joyce for me, but was more difficult for more people to read, and also displayed equal talent for novels, plays, short stories, and wrote (translated would be misleading) his works in 3/4 languages.

I don't think there is a person in the world who makes me more angry than Bono..

There should be no President in Ireland .. our present incumbent's only function is to slow up the start of rugby games..

A good shout with Edmund Burke Grey - for all that I think people have misinterpreted his theories on the sublime when applying them to certain artists, and even though I disagree with a lot of what he says about the french revolution, he was a great writer, and chronicler of revolutionary/romantic times.
 
Dusty Springfield was surely more famous than Bono, mind you she was born in London.
Wasn't Jonathan Swift (Gullivers Travels) Irish?
 
He has a reputation as a conservative thinker because of his stance on the French revolution, but Burke was also an advocate for the abolition of slavery (not popular with his limited-franchise voters in Bristol at the time), independence for the American colonies and Catholic emancipation.
 
Indeed - I wasn't disagreeing with you by the way, more saying I really enjoyed reading him despite not agreeing with all his writings.
 
Melendez said:
Not knocking Hume, he certainly played his part, but was one of many to do so. I think the role of David Trimble has been vastly underrated in bringing the Unionists onside. IMO at least an equal claim to the title as Hume.
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Mel, Hume and Trimle in the same sentence ! I'm gobsmacked. I never saw Hume charging into the ranks of the Police egged on by a rabble. Hume wins hands down from the sorry list of candidates provided.
 
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