WE IRISH are generally considered to be fairly friendly folk.
Known for our warm welcomes, generous dinner-plate helpings and altogether good-natured charm, the last thing you'd expect to be doing is running through a list of scary Irish figures.
But seeing as it's Halloween today, we thought we'd indulge our spooky side, and peer into the gloomy chasm that is Ireland's frighteningly intimidating underbelly.
Read on if you dare ... *evil cackle*
The Banshee
1825 depiction of a banshee [Via: Wikipedia Commons]
Roy Keane
I wouldn't want to cut in front of him in a queue at the post-office, put it that way. The former Ireland and Manchester United captain made a career out of his no-nonesense, no-prisoners approach to midfield. It didn't matter if you were friend or foe, Keano would happily tear your ligaments in two with his teeth if he wasn't happy with you. He famously ended Alf-Inge Haaland's career with a knee-high challenge, and gave new signing Rio Ferdinand an expletive-laden ear-bashing during his very first training session after the former Leeds defender played what Keane deemed to be 'an easy pass.' Even his new colleagues at Sky Sports seem a little scared to disagree with him. It isbn't hard to understand why.
The Nuns
Pointy fingers, piercing glares, stiff rulers. The Nuns will strike fear into the heart of any misbehaving little'n that's for sure. They're generally very stoic too, so you have no idea what's going on behind those eyes, which is terrifying. They're the ultimate, unrelenting authority. There's no reasoning with a nun. They're unwavering commitment to their faith can be intimidating too. As much as they're still considering wholesome bastion's of purity in many corners of the world, they're just bloody scary aren't they?
Michael O'Leary
He isn't exactly scary, but he sure brings feelings of dread and nausea to most people who cross him or his company, Ryanair. Resembling something of ghoul, O'Leary can scare the life out of you with a mix of outrageous, unnecessary charges and pathetically undersized space allocation on his flights. And what's that, a delayed flight? Stranded in an airport somewhere without a way of getting home? In need of a refund? O'Leary's like a ghost, or even Keyser Soze ... *poof* he's gone.
Conor McGregor
Yes, he's an arse, but put it this way, if I'm sitting in a pub and he storms in and offers me a free shot of his distinctly average whiskey, I'm bloody drinkin' it! I'd drink a shot of pickle brine if he asked me to. He's a scary man. He's unpredictable, he's very wealthy and he punches and grapples people into submission for a living. He's a man you simply don't cross, unless your name rhymes with Nhabib Kurmagomedov ... and there aren't many of you out there.
Anne Bonny
Anne Bonny (Credit: Irish Central)Perhaps one you might not have heard of, Anne Bonny was an 18th century pirate, from Cork, who pillaged and plundered towns and ships in the Caribbean for a number of years, becoming possibly the most feared female pirate during what was considered the golden age of piracy. When she was 13, she stabbed a servant girl with a knife in London, and a few years later ran off and married a poor sailor-turned pirate. Her father didn't approve of the marriage and disowned her, and Anne allegedly torched his plantation in retaliation. It was supposed bad luck to have a woman aboard pirate ships, but anyone who dared mention this to her would usually be stabbed in the chest or shot in the stomach. Even in a climate of ill deeds and abhorrent crime, it appears Anne Bonny wasn't to be messed with.
Liam Neeson
You only need to be scared of Liam Neeson if you're a bad guy. But his 'particular set of skills' coupled with his ability to effortlessly switch between cuddly uncle to ruthless robotic killing machine make him a terrifying prospect for anyone who crosses him. Whether he's saving his daughter from a bunch of pesky human traffickers, being something of dick to batman or waging total war against a pack of timber wolves, Liam Neeson has proven down the years that if you decide to cross him, be prepared for greatest fight of your bleedin' life.
Jack Gleeson
(Credit: Bustle)Well, not Gleeson himself. More the Joffrey Baratheon character he portrays in Game of Thrones. In his all too short yet severely menacing stint at the forefront of the fantasy series, Joffrey became the modern-day Darth Vader, Scar or Freddie Kruger. He became the most hated figure on television until his shocking death in season 4. While yes, he was still something of a puppet to be used by his mother Cersei and grandfather Tywin Lannister, while sitting on the Iron Throne, Joffrey displayed elements of pure boundless evil. Whether it was terrorising Sansa Stark, cross-bowing prostitutes or simply ordering people to be brutally killed for sneezing in his presence, Joffrey was, in every sense of the word, scary.
