IRELAND’S WINGED WONDERS: THE TOP THREE...

1 TONY O’REILLY

(1955-1970, 29 caps, 4 tries; 10 Lions Tests, 6 tries) BETTER known in Ireland as one of the country’s most notable tycoons but O’Reilly (r9ght)first won renown as a magnificent rugby player. The Belvedere boy burst onto the scene in the mid-50s as the perfect combination of athleticism, strength, pace and natural footballing ability. Won 29 caps for Ireland but it was the Lions that made O’Reilly a star. On the 1955 tour to South Africa, the 19-year-old scored 16 tries in 15 games and on the 1959 trip to New Zealand racked up 22 tries from 23 matches. O’Reilly’s charisma and dashing looks made him a rugby pin-up and there were even said to be offers from Hollywood at the height of his fame. Once business interests took over, his rugby prominence waned but O’Reilly’s record of six tries from 10 Lions Test matches was phenomenal and sets him apart from all Irish rivals.

2 SIMON GEOGHEGAN

(1991-1996, 37 caps, 11 tries) EVEN now, the mention of his name sends a thrill of excitement down the spines of a certain generation of Irish rugby supporter. The early 1990s was a particularly grim period for Irish rugby and the blond Londoner with the Galway father was a beacon of hope, his frenetic running and utter commitment making him an instant cult hero. Even though Ireland were almost always on the back foot, Geoghegan’s style made him stand out with legendary broadcaster, the late Bill McLaren, once memorably describing him as an ‘electric eel’ and his ‘in and out’ try in the famous win at Twickenham in 1994 is one of Ireland’s finest. Geoghegan should have made the 1993 Lions tour when he was at his peak and, though a place was kept open for him in 1997 but injury brought a premature end to a brilliant career.

3 TOMMY BOWE

(2004-2017, 69 caps, 30 tries; 5 Lions Tests)

Didn’t make many waves when he first came on the scene in the mid-2000s but after missing out on the 2007 World Cup, Bowe found his groove and for the next five years blossomed into one of the finest wingers in the game. Fast without being lightning quick, Bowe used his size and clever lines of running to devastating effect and sprang to global rugby prominence on the back of a brilliant 2009 Lions tour to South Africa after being a key figure in Ireland’s Grand Slam.