JOE Men of the Year Awards: Viral Internet Hero of the Year

We never thought Paul O’Connell would feature in this category but it’s been that kind of year.

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again and we’ll never stop saying it because it always bears repeating: at JOE we’re eternally grateful for the content provided to us by you, the JOE readers, on such a regular basis. Because of it, we are occasionally able to make heroes of ordinary people whose exploits make an impact not just in Ireland but around the world and that’s been the case once again in 2016, warranting a category such as this in the JOE Men of the Year Awards. A certain former Ireland rugby captain is amongst this year’s nominees, but he has some very stiff competition if he’s going to take home the award. Be sure to cast your vote at the bottom of the page.

Irish fans doing ‘Rock the Boat’ at the Euros

We could easily have had a separate ‘Viral Internet Hero of the Euros’ category such was the wealth of material on offer, but we decided we’d try and single out one of the many, many memories out for special mention. The real fun started for Irish fans in France the day before the Sweden game in Paris, when a group of Irish fans performed a traffic-stopping version of ‘Rock the Boat’ and one of their fellow supporters decided to crowd surf over them for good measure. The whole thing was captured live by JOE editor Paddy McKenna and like the many, many episodes featuring Irish fans at the Euros, it was all in good fun, completely devoid of menace or harm and cheered on by locals who appreciated the atmosphere we can bring to such a huge event. https://twitter.com/PaddyMcKenna/status/742016695007645697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Brian O’Sullivan – Mr. Brightside

Earlier this year, Ger Foley, a popular man in Killorglin in Kerry, passed away after a battle with cystic fibrosis. His friend, Brian O’Sullivan, paid tribute to him by singing a song that he thought best summed up Ger, ‘Mr. Brightside’ by the Killers, while perched atop a counter in front of a large crowd of Ger’s friends in Falvey’s Bar in Killorglin. To say what followed was phenomenal would be an understatement.

Paul O’Connell

Arguably the greatest competitor ever to pull on a green jersey wasn’t about to lose that competitive instinct when he finally hung up his boots. As if that was ever in doubt, he proved it with the greatest solution to a puzzle in the history of Question of Sport; needless to say, every time we hear the name Borussia Moenchengladbach, we’ll think of Paulie.  

Joey Troy – The long walk home on Snapchat

Many of us have faced the prospect of a long trek home with no lift after a night on the tiles but, to our knowledge at least, nobody turned it into an adventure as much as Joey Troy from Offaly. Joey undertook the journey with remarkable enthusiasm and clarity for a man after a few pints, using music, exercise and general contemplation of life to help pass the long walk home. Joey’s disappointed mother eventually came to his rescue, but the fun didn’t stop there…

Deano from the Late Late Show

The Valentine’s Day edition of the Late Late Show is fast becoming the second most anticipated episode of the year. After the Toy Show, of course. In 2016, the undoubted star of the show was Deano, who, possibly with the help of some Dutch courage, spoke about feeling ‘exotic’ and charmed an audience that was like putty in his hands. https://twitter.com/JOEdotie/status/698299266863931393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw