Irish Sport by NagleJF

Irish rugby legend Willie John McBride may be best-remembered for his policy of “one in, all in” while captaining the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in 1974. That policy came into effect when, given sufficient provocation from overly physical play by the Springboks, McBride or a teammate would call out a two-digit number, whereupon all Lions on the pitch would hit the nearest opponent, leaving the lone referee on the pitch unable to identify a single instigator and thus left with the choice of sending off the entire team or no one at all. What was that infamous numerical signal, perhaps originally intended as a shortened version of the emergency phone number in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but better associated in the minds of North American sports fans with the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mitch Williams?

Rory McIlroy, in winning 4 major titles before age 26, has already equaled the major win totals of all other Irish golfers combined since 1950. Name any one of the three other Irish golfers to have won a major during that time period. For these purposes, we will consider any golfer eligible to compete for the Republic of Ireland in the Olympics, thus including players from Northern Ireland.

"You're a liar … you're a fucking wanker. I didn't rate you as a player, I don't rate you as a manager, and I don't rate you as a person. You're a fucking wanker and you can stick your World Cup up your arse. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your bollocks." These words were reportedly directed at Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy in a 2002 tirade by the (then) captain of the Republic of Ireland World Cup squad before he was dismissed and sent home from the team’s training base in Saipan. Name this legendary erstwhile Manchester United skipper and Corkman.

Upon decamping from the World Cup, the aforementioned Irish soccer legend was left to brood with his beloved Labrador retriever Triggs, who subsequently received the satirical treatment of an “autobiography” ghost-written by Irish journalist Paul Howard. Howard’s best known character/alter ego, however, is what self-proclaimed “greatest never to play for Ireland” schools rugby burnout, Leinster fanatic, and avatar of the excesses of the Celtic Tiger economy? Since introducing the character in 1998, Howard has written a regular newspaper column, over a dozen novels, three plays and a “Guide to (South) Dublin: How to Get By On, Like, €10,000 a Day” in this name. First name only will suffice.

In addition to teams based in New York and London, 31 Irish county teams compete for the Sam Maguire Cup in the annual GAA All-Ireland Senior Football championship. Name the only Irish county that does not field a team in the competition, although (and perhaps, because) they have been the most successful side while winning 36 Senior All-Ireland titles in hurling.

Portrush, Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland is slated to host what major international sporting competition for the first time since 1951, only the second time the event has ever been held outside of Scotland and England?

Ireland’s most recent Olympic Gold medalist was Katie Taylor. For what sport did she take home Gold at the 2012 London games?

Ireland’s most infamous Gold medalist, however, came from obscurity to take 3 golds and a bronze in swimming events at the 1996 Atlanta games. Although her husband was already suspended from competition in athletics at the time for taking a banned substance and she subsequently received a ban for tampering with a urine sample in 1998, she has never been stripped of her medals and denies doping to this day. Name this Olympic champion.

Boston College is set to play Georgia Tech in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on September 3, 2016 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The contest will mark the sixth regular season NCAA football game to be played in Dublin and Boston College’s second such visit. Name ONE of the two other American universities to have participated in more than one such contest.

Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly rose to prominence during the 1980s as teammates and rivals in what international sport? Roche won the sport’s Triple Crown in 1987, while Kelly held the No. 1 spot in the world rankings from 1984-1988.

Although only an Associate member of the International Cricket Council, Ireland has developed a well-deserved reputation as giant killers at the Cricket World Cup, having defeated a Test nation in each of their three appearances (2007, 2011, 2015). Name any one of the three cricket powers to suffer defeat at the hands of the mighty Irish.

Name the “Notorious” Dublin-born UFC Featherweight Champion who is currently embroiled in a dispute with UFC management for failing to fulfill media obligations for the promotion of UFC 200, an event that was to feature his rematch with Nate Diaz, the only UFC fighter to defeat him to date.