WHEN one delves into the peaty bog of lazy Irish stereotypes, you'll struggle to find a positive one.
Drunk, dim-witted, overly-religious and violent - not quite the inscription you'd want slapped on the Irish sigil.
But speaking of violent ...
The Irish have for decades been thought of as a 'foightin' people, and as of this moment, we fight better than anyone else.
Men and women with heritage as Irish as a leprechaun listening to a B*Witched CD are scrapping their way to the very top of combat sport, as the fighting Irish moniker looks to finally pay dividends.
Whether it's boxing, mixed martial arts or professional wrestling, there's a potentially drunk, religious half-wit making our nation proud sitting on the throne.
Let's run through some of the very best:
Tyson Fury
Ok, yes. He's from Manchester. But Fury's Irish heritage is no secret. In fact, the current face of heavyweight boxing represented the Emerald Isle at the World Junior Championships in 2006.
The undefeated Gypsy King is proud of his Irish traveller roots, which can be traced back to Galway, Tipperary and Belfast, and after demolishing Deontay Wilder last weekend, he can lay claim to being perhaps the best boxer on the planet today. Well, male boxer anyway...
Katie Taylor
The Wicklow native has been on a tear since turning pro just four years ago. Now she's got more titles than a cinema pre-screening.
The 33-year-old toppled Christina Linardatou to became a two-weight world champion in November, and with a 15-0 professional record and y'know, a gold medal at the Olympics, few can rival her aptitude for kicking arse.
Becky Lynch
Speaking of kicking arse, Becky Lynch's nickname in the world of wrestling is 'The Lass Kicker'. Yeah, not that great I know, but her near year-long reign as WWE Women's Champion should be the all the self-promotion she needs.
Dublin-born Rebecca Quinn is, currently, the top female athlete in the company. And while we all know it's scripted (or 'fake') - you don't get written to the top unless you're the very best at what you do, and Lynch is exactly that. She even secured a win over UFC star Ronda Rousey in the main event of Wrestlemania (the SuperBowl or Champions League final of wrestling, basically) last year - not bad for a former Aer Lingus stewardess.
Conor McGregor
Speaking of UFC, Conor McGregor is undisputedly MMA's biggest ever star. His profile transcends the sport and the Irishman has become a household name.
He's the highest drawing UFC star in history, he has the fastest UFC championship win via knockout in history, he's the only person to simultaneously hold two UFC titles, he's the only fighter to ever to score knockout finishes in the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions.
He may not have all the belts after defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, but McGregor doesn't really need any. He is, and always will be the biggest name in the sport - whether you love or you hate him (He joost doesn't give a f***!).
