Irelands Greatest Figures

[Shortso79]

RTÉ launches Ireland's Greatest Figures

RTÉ has invited the public to vote for Ireland's greatest figures as part of a new television series.

From a shortlist of 40 people, the public will be asked to vote for the greatest figures in the country's history.

The shortlist includes people from across the gamut of Irish life: sport, politics, music, arts and literature.
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Votes can be cast at a dedicated website: www.rte.ie/tv/irelandsgreatest/, from 9am on Monday 22 March until noon on Friday 2 April.

The top five figures, as nominated by the voters, will then become the subject of one of five brand new hour-long documentaries, each charting the individual's impact and contribution to Irish life, as interpreted and championed by a well-known personality.

The resulting series of documentaries will be broadcast this September on RTÉ One.

Once these documentaries have aired, the public will again be given the opportunity to reassess which person deserves the accolade of Ireland's Greatest Figure, with the winner being announced on 'The Late Late Show' in October.

Shortlist of Greatest Irish People (in alphabetical order)

1. Bono (1960)
Rock Star and Human Rights campaigner

2. Dr. Noel Browne (1915 - 1997)
Politician and Physician

3. Michael Collins (1890 - 1922)
Revolutionary leader, Chairman of the Irish provisional government and Commander-in-chief of the provisional government army

4. James Connolly (1868 - 1916)
Socialist and Revolutionary

5. Éamon de Valera (1882-1975)
Revolutionary, Former Taoiseach and President of Ireland

6. Joe Dolan (1939 - 2007)
Singer and Entertainer

7. Ronnie Drew (1934 - 2008)
Singer and folk musician

8. Colin Farrell (1976)
Hollywood Actor

9. Garret Fitzgerald (1926)
Former Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael

10. Stephen Gately (1976 - 2009)
Singer and Actor

11. Bob Geldof (1951)
Musician and Human Rights campaigner

12. Pádraig Harrington (1971)
Professional Golfer

13. Charles Haughey (1925 - 2006)
Former Taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil

14. Séamus Heaney (1939)
Poet, Writer and Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

15. John Hume (1937)
Politician and co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize

16. James Joyce (1882 - 1941)
Writer


17. John B. Keane (1928 - 2002)
Writer, Humourist and Publican

18. Roy Keane (1971)
International Footballer and Manager

19. Ronan Keating (1977)
Singer/Songwriter and Charity Campaigner

20. Seán Lemass ( 1899-1971)
Revolutionary, and former Taoiseach

21. Jack Lynch (1917 - 1999)
Taoiseach and Sportsman

22. Phil Lynott (1951 - 1986)
Singer, bassist and songwriter

23. Paul Mc Grath (1959)
National and International Footballer

24. Christy Moore (1945)
Irish singer/songwriter.

25. Liam Neeson (1952)
Hollywood Actor

26. Daniel O'Connell (1775-1847)
Political leader, Catholic Emancipator and Lord Mayor of Dublin

27. Daniel O'Donnell (1961)
Singer and entertainer

28. Brian O'Driscoll (1979)
Professional rugby player

29. Michael O'Leary (1961)
Chief Executive of Ryanair

30. John O'Shea (1944)
Humanitarian Campaigner

31. Sonia O'Sullivan (1969)
Athlete

32. Charles Stewart Parnell (1846 - 1891)
Nationalist political leader, founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentry Party and land reform agitator.

33. Pádraig Pearse (1879 - 1916)
Educator, writer and revolutionary

34. Christy Ring (1920 - 1979)
Hurling Champion

35. Mary Robinson (1944)
Former Irish President and Human Rights defender

36. Adi Roche (1955)
Humanitarian and campaigner

37. Wolfe Tone (1763 - 1798)
Republican and Revolutionary

38. Louis Walsh (1952)
Music Manager and Judge on 'The X Factor'

39. Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)
Writer, poet and dramatist

40. W.B. Yeats (1865 - 1939)
Poet, Dramatist, Founder of the Abbey Theatre and Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

[Uladh]

[Puckoon]

Nothing like a Not Safe For Work warning boys!?

[muppet]

Great figures?

Gately, Haughey, Farrell and Michael O'Leary?

I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey isn't on it.

[the colonel]

Some on that list is madness! Louis Walsh, wtf. Not wanting to speak ill off the dead, but why is Stephen Gately on there?

[screenexile]

Great figures?

Gately, Haughey, Farrell and Michael O'Leary?

I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey isn't on it.

Roy Keane?? A great Irishman?? Somebody is taking the complete piss here!!

[screenexile]

Great figures?

Gately, Haughey, Farrell and Michael O'Leary?

I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey isn't on it.

Roy Keane?? A great Irishman?? Somebody is taking the complete piss here!!

I've just went to the site and it's true enough... gobsmacked isn't the word for it! The man walked out on his Country how can he now be proclaimed 'Great'?? It beggars belief really. The poll had potential but this has made an absolute farce of it and thats before you go into Steven Gately, Louis Walsh, Ronan Keating and Michael O'Leary!

[muppet]

Great figures?

Gately, Haughey, Farrell and Michael O'Leary?

I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey isn't on it.

Roy Keane?? A great Irishman?? Somebody is taking the complete piss here!!

I've just went to the site and it's true enough... gobsmacked isn't the word for it! The man walked out on his Country how can he now be proclaimed 'Great'?? It beggars belief really. The poll had potential but this has made an absolute farce of it and thats before you go into Steven Gately, Louis Walsh, Ronan Keating and Michael O'Leary!

You are of course right. You will also want Paul McGrath removed as he walked out on his country a number of times as did Sonia O'Sullivan if your mind is small enough. Come to this of it there will be those who say Michael Collins & James Joyce did so as well.

Keane, McCarthy & Quinn's version of events agree and all differ from yours. Give it up.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Some on that list is madness! Louis Walsh, wtf. Not wanting to speak ill off the dead, but why is Stephen Gately on there?

Because he died recently.

[balladmaker]

Because he died recently.

And as the saying goes, when you're dead, your're great.  Absolute joke of a list.

[muppet]

No Ronnie O'Brien either.

[ziggysego]

UTV are complaining more people from the wee north aren't on the list, particularly everybodies favour - George Best.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

No Ronnie O'Brien either.

Had a look at Ronnie on wikipedia there - seems he ended up carving out a decent career for himself in America.

What was the name of the economist from the north who was a top civil servant in the south and won Irish person of the century?

[Shamrock Shore]

Where's Judge, Zig and Zag, Dana, Johnny Logan, Oliver Plunkett, St. Brendan, The man who invented Kerry??

Are RTE having a laugh here?

[screenexile]

Great figures?

Gately, Haughey, Farrell and Michael O'Leary?

I'm surprised Dustin the Turkey isn't on it.

Roy Keane?? A great Irishman?? Somebody is taking the complete piss here!!

I've just went to the site and it's true enough... gobsmacked isn't the word for it! The man walked out on his Country how can he now be proclaimed 'Great'?? It beggars belief really. The poll had potential but this has made an absolute farce of it and thats before you go into Steven Gately, Louis Walsh, Ronan Keating and Michael O'Leary!

You are of course right. You will also want Paul McGrath removed as he walked out on his country a number of times as did Sonia O'Sullivan if your mind is small enough. Come to this of it there will be those who say Michael Collins & James Joyce did so as well.

Keane, McCarthy & Quinn's version of events agree and all differ from yours. Give it up.

Sorry so you want to compare McGrath's going AWOL a number of times due to alcoholism ( a recognised disease), with Roy Keane taking a notion he couldn't be arsed anymore in Saipan. McGrath played in 2 World Cups for Ireland in varying degrees of pain, he deserves his place on that list!

I really don't know about Sonia walking out on Ireland you will have to refresh my memory on that one!