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17 times sports made us incredibly proud to be Irish

And don’t worry, it’s not all Italia 90.

IN CASE YOU didn’t realise and have somehow ended up in work wondering where everyone is, today is St. Patrick’s Day and what better way to celebrate than to look back at some of the moments when sportspeople and teams made you feel ridiculously proud to be Irish.

This is obviously not a definitive list — the two lads who blagged their way into the Super Bowl didn’t make it — but we felt 17 was a good number for the day that’s in it.

Let us know what else you’d include in the comments below but, in no particular order…

1. When Ray Houghton put the ball in the back of the England net

Chimpanzeethat / YouTube

2. When Dave O’Leary kept his nerve as the nation held its breath

jazzforall / YouTube

3. When Ireland beat the Italians in New York

M / YouTube

4. When Steph Roche rubbed shoulders with the best in the world

Ed Rice / YouTube

5. When Ronan O’Gara dropped at goal with a Grand Slam at stake

mountnugent1949 / YouTube

6. When Ireland thrashed ‘the old enemy’ at Croke Park

Paul Burns / YouTube

7. When the women’s rugby team won their first Grand Slam

New Century Publishing / YouTube

8. When Ireland hosted the Special Olympics World Games

Dr. Patrick Treacy / YouTube

9. When the cricket team announced themselves on the world stage

Trevor Byers Cricket / YouTube

10. When Sonia O’Sullivan became champion of the world

11. When Eamon Coughlan told Dmitriy Dmitriyev ’watch me go’

jimbojimjimbo / YouTube

12. When Barry McGuigan won a world title for all the people of Ireland

fightfilms1 / YouTube

13. When Katie Taylor took gold at the London Olympic Games

KatieTaylorFan / YouTube

14. When Pádraig Harrington won his first Major title

hynodesignsclassics / YouTube

15. When Rory McIlory ripped up the record books at the US Open

ddaanniieelleeyy / YouTube

16. When Ken Doherty became World Snooker Champion

Nuno Correia / YouTube

17. When we watched the world fall in love with Gaelic Games in 2014

hockeyhurlingshinty5 / YouTube

How one woman went from 20 cigarettes a day to triumphing in Ireland’s toughest endurance race

From Dublin’s northside to coaching Kaka: Dave McKay’s American adventure

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    Mute Kieran
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    Mar 4th 2018, 8:20 AM

    Ashley Yonng never came across as the sharpest tool in the box

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    Mute Andrew Keane
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:27 AM

    @Kieran: how is it dumb to keep trying to compete? He’s not saying they’ll be successful , just that he won’t give up trying. Real losers are the ones that quit. What would you do?

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    Mute James Doyle
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:39 AM

    @Andrew Keane: thing is, United don’t try and compete. Especially not against good teams. They try not to lose.

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    Mute The Bunk
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:50 AM

    @James Doyle: They competed against Chelsea!

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    Mute James Doyle
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    Mar 4th 2018, 10:42 AM

    @The Bunk: I said good teams….

    But in fairness, they were at home against a team that has lost 3 out of the last 4, were beaten by 3 by both Watford and Bournemouth, and even then only “went for the win” with 30 minutes left, and Chelsea still had a goal incorrectly disallowed to equalize. It wasn’t all that great, really.

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    Mute Sloop John G
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    Mar 5th 2018, 12:45 AM

    @Kieran: Tool? Yes. Sharp? No.

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    Mute MK76
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    Mar 4th 2018, 8:05 AM

    Ha.

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    Mute glenn kilfeather
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:18 AM

    Easy on the glue there Young ya gimp!

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    Mute thatsnotme
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    Mar 4th 2018, 10:01 AM

    @glenn kilfeather: what do you expect him or anyone else put in that position to say ! Now who’s the ‘GIMP!’

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    Mute AL
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    Mar 4th 2018, 11:02 AM

    @thatsnotme: Ashley Young

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    Mute MK76
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    Mar 4th 2018, 3:15 PM

    @thatsnotme: Ashley Young?

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    Mute James Doyle
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:34 AM

    Playing to win? Is that what he calls turning out Jose’s patented 6-4-0 formation anytime United play a team in the top 6? Playing not to lose may get United tremendous results like a 0-0 at Anfield, or a 2-1 over an out of sorts Chelsea, but it does not a “title challenge” make. United have lost 16 points on Man City in 21 games. They were level after 7. That’s the opposite of “going to win every game”.

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    Mute Eoin McCarthy
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:17 AM

    Deluded as the rest of them!

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    Mute Andrew Keane
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:27 AM

    @Eoin McCarthy: why is he deluded?

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    Mute Eoin McCarthy
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    Mar 4th 2018, 6:21 PM

    @Andrew Keane: By thinking that United, or any team for that matter, might catch City at this stage.

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Mar 4th 2018, 10:08 AM

    New story on Young tomorrow, “Ashley Young fails drug test”

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    Mute Derek Sherpack
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:54 AM

    Dived in there Ashley

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    Mute John Jones
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    Mar 4th 2018, 9:09 AM

    Well you hardly expect them to concede matches do you. Everyone else is playing for top 4 places since before Xmas.

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    Mute England's Envy
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    Mar 4th 2018, 10:02 AM

    Ah brilliant. You have to love Marlo Stanfields optimism. Hahahhah.

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    Mute Alan J. McKenna
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    Mar 4th 2018, 10:53 AM

    @England’s Envy: Careful now, or Young will get Chris and Snoop to put you up in those vacants.

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    Mar 4th 2018, 2:26 PM

    @Alan J. McKenna: Haahaha McNulty will get their asS

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    Mute Murph
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    Mar 4th 2018, 8:43 AM

    You’re talking shiit Ashley….probably just returning what that bird dumped in your mouth that time though ha!

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    Mute Dundee
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    Mar 4th 2018, 2:48 PM

    Clown

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    Mute Cionnadh
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    Mar 5th 2018, 12:09 AM

    Hahahahahahahahaha…..lolololilolololololololol

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