Scale of RTÉ project to find Ireland’s greatest person seems modest compared to British one
THE ISSUE of how heroes, whether historic or otherwise, should be recognised has always been a particularly hot topic of conversation in this country. A forthcoming RTÉ series seeking to select the greatest Irish person ever has generated considerable attention and even controversy over the last few weeks.
Earlier this year the programme producers published a “long list” of 40 people who were selected by a public opinion poll as contenders for the title of Ireland’s Greatest. The most effective critique of the top 40 list I have heard was that done by satirist Mario Rosenstock on Today FM’s Gift Grub a few weeks ago.
In the sketch, Ian Dempsey purported to telephone several of those in the top 40, as well as speaking to personalities who might have hoped to make the list, with all being played with characteristic accuracy by Rosenstock.
First on the line with Dempsey was Ronan Keating, who was chuffed to make the list and delighted, also, that fellow band member the late Stephen Gately, and even Boyzone manager Louis Walsh, made the cut. Dempsey next spoke to Stephen Roche, who was disappointed that winning the Tour de France and many other cycling titles did not qualify him for inclusion, and to Charlie Bird, who was also dismayed at his exclusion.
Roy Keane, who made the top 40, initially indicated to Dempsey that he, too, was chuffed, and said he assumed Samuel Beckett was included. Dempsey had to tell him otherwise, and Keano expressed surprise. He then added that surely George Bernard Shaw had made the cut. Again, Dempsey had to tell him he did not. Keane became concerned and inquired whether Robert Boyle, who he described as “the founder of modern medicine”, was in the top 40. Again, Dempsey had to tell him Boyle was not included, but went on to mention Louis Walsh’s presence on the list. Keane was outraged and, in that over-the-top manner in which Rosenstock always plays him, demanded to be taken off the list immediately. It was clearly not worth being on.
The Ireland's Greatestprogramme is modelled on a British series shown about seven years ago. However, the scale of the RTÉ project seems more modest. For the British series, historians and other experts drew up an initial list of 100 names which was whittled down to 10 by opinion poll. Documentaries were then commissioned on each of the top 10, and a case for the title was championed by a leading commentator. It all came to a head in a grand finale live on BBC one Sunday night, as Weakest Linkpresenter Anne Robinson teased out who had the strongest case, and a national telephone poll decided the final result. In Britain it became a phenomenon. Newspaper editorials, celebrities, museums and national institutions campaigned for their respective candidates.
Winston Churchill ultimately won the title of Great Briton by a long shot, much to the relief of those snooty, serious types who feared the sentimentality of the British tabloid-reading masses would carry the day for Princess Diana. In second place was Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who until then was a little-remembered civil engineer. As a television extravaganza, it was history lesson meets game show.
One can see the value of producing such a television series here in Ireland. It plays to our passion for debate, taps into the Irish fondness for elections, and would serve to remind us of our history.
However, I am with the fictional Roy Keane. The Irish version of the project has already been significantly undermined by the relatively lightweight nature of the top 40 contenders and by the glaring absences from that list. Since then, the 40 names have been cut down to 10 by an online poll. The top five, as yet to be revealed, will each be the subject of an hour-long documentary in September.
Even though the title should be awarded to the greatest among centuries of Irish people, the living would appear to be dramatically over-represented in the shortlist. Many seem to have made it to the list on the basis of popularity or celebrity rather than any substantial assessment of their contribution or achievements.
The Irish project lacks the combination of expert assessment and popular opinion that marked the British series. While the ultimate decision in Britain was made by telephone poll, this only came into play after the specially commissioned documentaries had been broadcast and discussed in follow-up live debates. By comparison, the Irish producers have introduced the entirely inexpert and unscientific online voting procedure to shape the shortlist. While the contest between the five title contenders will undoubtedly be fun, it is difficult to contend that it can with any credibility come up with a definitive determination of who should be regarded as Ireland’s greatest person.
Ultimately, it would be wrong to rely on popular telephone polls or television game shows to give appropriate recognition to those who have contributed to Irish life. The idea of renaming Dublin airport after some historic Irish figure was floated this week. The idea is a good one and, with the second terminal due to be opened in November, it is also timely. Several new names have been put about for the airport.
It seems to me, for what it’s worth, that it should be Lemass Airport, in recognition of a Dubliner who made a massive contribution not only to the initial development of our aviation industry, but also to many other facets of Irish life. It would be a more substantial and enduring way of recognising the achievements of a man who really was one of Ireland’s greatest.