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25th Aug 2011

Five Irishmen claimed by Britain

Ireland has produced a multitude of famous names over the years. But sadly, other nations (not pointing any fingers to the east) sometimes like to claim them as their own.

JOE

Ireland has produced a multitude of famous names over the years. But sadly, other nations (not pointing any fingers to the east) sometimes like to claim them as their own.

By Oisin Collins

Eoin Morgan

Today, at Castle Avenue in Clontarf you’ll see something you won’t see every day. If you have a ticket, that is, because Ireland’s One-Day International cricket match against England is a sell-out, the result of a clever marketing ploy by the sport’s governing body here to put tickets on sale when goodwill was at its highest following the World Cup win over the English in March.

The rather un-everyday occurrence today will be the sight of Eoin Morgan, the ginger-haired young Dubliner, complete with proper Dublin accent, not only playing for England but captaining the visitors.

Begrudgery may be one of our most ubiquitous traits but we don’t begrudge Eoin at all. Fair play to him – he’s made it as a top professional in a sport which in Ireland remains steadfastly amateur. But still, it rankles a bit to see him standing at the crease in a jersey sporting three lions and a crown.

Terry Wogan

Michael Terence Wogan started his prolific broadcasting career with RTÉ in the 1960’s, starting off as a disk jockey and later presenting the quiz show Jackpot.

When RTÉ cancelled Jackpot, Wogan approached the BBC for some work on the side. It was then that the British started a love affair with our Terry, eventually claiming him as their ‘national treasure’.

However, our Terry was born in Limerick in August, 1938. He was educated by the Jesuits and later attended Belvedere College. He’s ours. (But honestly, they can keep him.)


Richard Harris

Richard Harris was born on 1 October 1930, another product of Limerick. Harris was considered one of Britain’s most legendary actors. But he wasn’t. He was one of Ireland’s most legendary actors.

Starring in movies such as Mutiny on the Bounty, The Field, Gladiator, Harry Potter and The Count of Monte Carlo, Harris made an award winning international name for himself.

Sadly, Harris passed away in 2002, but he will always be remembered fondly in Irish hearts as an Irishman. As in, not British.


Michael Gambon

Michael John Gambon was born in Cabra, Dublin in 1940. Gambon is famous in Britain for a variety of appearances. Lengthy careers in television and film made him a household name and more recently a corner of the Top Gear test track was graced with his name.

It was in his early childhood years that we lost Gambon to the Brits, as the Gambon family decided to leave Ireland shortly after World War II in order to help rebuild blitzed London.

But if you can take the man out of Ireland, you can’t take Ireland out of the man, and Gambon has made many triumphant returns to this country to star in theatre and film, perhaps most notably in the movie adaptation of Dancing at Lughnasa.

Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof was born on October 5, 1951 in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin. Famous for his musical talents and his charitable activism, Bob was to start his career as a music journalist in Vancouver, Canada for the weekly Georgia Straight.

His charitable work during the Live Aid concerts shot the already famous singer onto the world’s stage. It was then when he was momentarly mistakenly taken for an Englishman by geographically-stunted folk from around the world.

Bob has been our singer by day, hero by night since the Boomtown Rats roamed the streets of Dublin and Ireland will always be his natural home because after all, we do have a certain ‘Love or Something’ for him.

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