Katie Taylor Voted Irish Sporting GOAT Plus Irish Punters 2024…

At BoyleSports we recently conducted a poll to find out the opinions of Irish sports fans on the biggest questions in Irish sports and culture.

Questions like, ‘Who is the greatest Irish sportsperson of all time?’, ‘What was the greatest sporting moment of 2023?’, and ‘What do you want to see happen in 2024?’.

Now the results of the BoyleSports Bumper 2023 Poll are in and we have the answers to all the above questions plus much more which you can discover below. The poll had 1,000 respondents via OnePoll and was commissioned by BoyleSports.

Ireland’s Sporting GOAT

Ireland’s greatest sports star of all time has been revealed and boxer Katie Taylor has been singled out as number one.

A new poll of 1,000 sports fans carried out by BoyleSports saw Taylor top the list of Ireland’s greatest sporting icons on 20%, with former Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane beaten into second place on 14%.

And now Irish punters are having their say on what 2024 could have in store for the pair of sporting legends as the New Year festivities approach. 36% of those polled picked out a Katie Taylor bout at Croke Park as the event they’d most love to see in 2024 and odds of 11/8 with BoyleSports suggest they may just get their wish.

In the same category, sports fans seem keen to put Ireland’s 2023 Rugby World Cup disappointment behind them as a whopping 51% said they’d most like to see a Six Nations victory for Ireland in 2024 (6/4). Some even looked beyond the sporting field as 18% were singing to the tune of Ireland ending its barren run with victory at Eurovision, but only 9% want to see Conor McGregor follow through on his plot to announce a bid to become next President of Ireland.

Commenting on the survey results, Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said:

“Katie Taylor clearly packs a huge punch with Irish sports fans so we’ll see if they get their new year wish for a thrilling bout in Croke Park. It’s also evident that many sports fans aren’t over Ireland’s Rugby World Cup exit just yet, but the results show they remain confident the Boys in Green will bounce-back next year.”

Andy Farrell Rated As One Of Ireland’s Greatest Ever Coaches

Ireland’s Rugby side certainly has the right man at the helm according to the results of the poll, as Andy Farrell (14%) was voted Ireland’s second greatest sporting coach of all time, with only the legendary Jack Charlton ahead of him on 29%.

Rugby Union appeared to dominate the landscape for Irish sport in 2023 as the Grand Slam victory at the Six Nations was voted the sporting highlight of the year on 20%, while a whopping majority of 59% said that Ireland’s World Cup exit at the hands of the All Blacks in France was their lowest moment of the sporting year.

Ireland's Greatest Coach of All Time Poll

Roy Keane Popular Pick For Republic Of Ireland Job

Only 23% were more let down by the Republic of Ireland’s miserable Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on the soccer pitch, but Roy Keane was the number one preference with fans for the vacant manager’s position. 36% want the former Manchester United midfield general to get the nod to replace Stephen Kenny, although he’s still available at 8/1 while the likes of Chris Coleman (3/1) or Lee Carsley (7/2) are rated more likely appointments by the FAI.

A spokesperson for BoyleSports said:

“There have been highs and lows for Irish punters throughout 2023, but they’re already eager to bank on what surprises the new year could have in store.

“In the sport and entertainment world, it could be quite a year for Cork natives with Cillian Murphy favourite for an Oscar and football fans more than Keane on a Roy return to the Irish dugout!”