Killing Bono : Is Bono the greatest Irishman?

No, but Dave Fanning seems to think so. This is like saying that John Lennon is the greatest Englishman to ever live, true that they may both be enormous cultural icons who transcend music but they haven't earned it the way true political figures have, by rolling up their sleeves and making real changes and real sacrifices.



He is possibly though, the most famous Irishman in history.

He is up there with the lot to win that title ;-)


Sex verstandig, neuk een appel !!

Arthur Guinness is the Greatest Irishman ever. Screw Bono.

Will you all ever get your head out of your arses

Bono,Arthur Guinness, probably mention Stephen fcking Gateley next.

It's Michael Collins, end of discussion.

Youre so cool. Youre so cool. Youre so cool.

Well if you want to be serious about it I still wouldn't vote for Collins. You could say Arthur Wellesley, Oscar Wilde, or even Michael Flatley Lord of the Dance. Sure he was technically born in the US, but Lord of the Dance 3D is gonna be off the hizzle!

Bono is great. Wilde is great. But Collins is what these lists should be about.


Culture is probably Ireland's greatest export apart from people but they're obviously the carriers. Think of the great people around the world who come from Irish stock, in American you've got Henry Ford in engineering and in England you've got everyone from John Lydon and Morrissey to the Gallaghers at the centre of pop culture.

Politicians and activists, real activists are where things happen. This is why people with a big voice, like Bono, trying to lever those with big power into action.

Michael Collins lost his life and sacrificed his soul in order to make things happen. You might not like his methods or object to the type of Ireland that came about but made a significant difference.

I wouldn't knock Dave Fanning's documentary. It's important to show the role that cultural icons can play for Ireland on a world stage but like Lennon or Shakespeare they only really fill in one corner. They're important in their own way but they hardly go unrewarded.