Monday, December 11, 2006
100 Greatest Irish People - Vote continues
OK we have reached the penultimate week of voting. I have recorded the results from last week's three polls. The three individuals who received the most votes in Poll 1 were Sir Ernest Shackleton, Oliver Plunkett and Hugh O'Neill. The three who received the most votes in Poll 2 were Patrick Pearse, Eamon de Valera and Douglas Hyde. Finally, the three who received the most votes in Poll 3 were W.B. Yeats, James Connolly and Brian Boru.This week I have posted just two polls, each one featuring ten great Irish figures.
For the uninitiated unsure how this works, these are multiple choice polls meaning you tick the box of the figures you feel are most deserving of a HIGH ranking. The Irish figures with the most votes will obviously feature higher in the eventual list and obviously those with little support will be at the tail end of the list. You can select as many boxes as you like.
For instance, one of the polls this week features Daniel O'Connell and Arthur Griffith so if you think O'Connell is a great Irish figure but don't feel the same way about Griffith, then tick the box of O'Connell only.
Now then here are some details on the figures featured in this week's polls...
Poll #1
Charles Stewart Parnell - Born in Wicklow, dubbed the 'uncrowned King of Ireland', made Irish Home Rule a key issue in British politics.
John Millington Synge - Dramatist and poet as well as a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival, most famous for his play, The Playboy of the Western World. From Dublin.
Bram Stoker - Born in Dublin, famous for his highly influential horror novel Dracula.
Countess Markiewicz - Born in London, became involved in Irish revoutionary activity as well as helping Dublin's poor. Was the first woman elected to the British House of Commons but refused to take her seat due to Sinn Féin's abstentionist policy.
Arthur Guinness - Born in Kildare, founder of Guinness Breweries.
John Barry - Born in Wexford, regarded as the Father of the American Navy.
George Best - Belfast-born Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballing legend. Regarded by many as the greatest player of all time.
Robert Boyle - Regarded as 'The Father of Chemistry', described the inverse relationship between the volume of a gas and its pressure – now known as Boyle’s Law. Born in Waterford.
Lord Edward Fitzgerald - Dublin-born revolutionary, at one point the most dangerous United Irish leader at large.
Sean McBride - Born in Paris, fought during the War of Independence, founder of the Clann na Poblachta party and was a founder member of Amnesty International. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Poll #2
Daniel O'Connell - Born in Kerry, achieved Catholic Emancipation and worked for the repeal of the Union. Regarded as 'The Liberator'.
Terence McSwiney - Born in Cork, succeeded Tomás MacCurtain as Lord Mayor of Cork when he was murdered by Black and Tans. Went on hunger strike for 74 days after being imprisoned.
James Larkin - Trade union leader and social activist, born in Liverpool to Irish parents. Fought for worker's rights and founded the Irish Transport and General Worker's Union (ITGWU).
Phelim O'Neill - Tyrone-born nobleman and leader of the Irish Rebellion of 1641. Executed in 1653.
Duke of Wellington - Born Athur Wellesley in County Meath, widely regarded as the British Army's greatest general and also served two terms as Prime Minister. Famous for defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
Grace O'Malley - Mayo-born pirate and chieftain, opposed British influence in Ireland.
Lady Gregory - Born in Galway, was a driving force of the Irish Literary Revival and co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and Abbey Theatre along with W.B. Yeats and others.
Bob Geldof - Lead singer of the Boomtown Rats, most famous for his political activism and for his role in Band Aid, Live Aid and the Live 8 concerts. Born in Dublin.
James Joyce - Dublin-born writer and poet, regarded as one of the 20th century's most influential writers. Most famous for his works Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Finnegan's Wake and Dubliners.
# posted by United Irelander @ 12:33 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
