100 Greatest Britons

[Inspector Norse]

Another one is expressly identified as a "eugenicist"

Number 30 is a terrorist.

And not even a successful terrorist.

He's literally a bloke whose lasting contribution to society is that kids pretend to set fire to him.

[Bernice]

Bobby sands at 63 seems odd.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Sir Richard Fucking Branson.

Ron and Anne will not be pleased.

[Inspector Norse]

Bobby sands at 63 seems odd.

You'd seem odd if you hadn't eaten for two months

[Quote]

Ringo ignored.

Not even the best Briton in the Beatles.

[Bleeding Kansas]

57. Raoul Moat

Ironically one above Gazza.

[Bronzy]

Bobby sands at 63 seems odd.

Thought he died at 27?

[Bernice]

Probably why he seemed so odd at 63.

[TheBrownBottle]

So my main memory of this as a kid was utterly fucking weird it was to hear people arguing Oliver Cromwell was one of the best people who ever lived but I'm wondering was the show as big of a deal as it seemed to me at the time?

It didn't seem odd to me at the time, nor does it today.  Like many socialists, my grandfather revered him, and had a picture of him in the dining room.  Still a hero figure to many of us on the left.

[peanutbutter]

It didn't seem odd to me at the time, nor does it today.  Like many socialists, my grandfather revered him, and had a picture of him in the dining room.  Still a hero figure to many of us on the left.

I was 11/12, what was weird was the total disconnect of him being considered so highly relative to how I had known him exclusively, which really was very much the peak English baddie in Ireland and really not mentioned much at all in the English media I had dealt with.

[TheBrownBottle]

I was 11/12, what was weird was the total disconnect of him being considered so highly relative to how I had known him exclusively, which really was very much the peak English baddie in Ireland and really not mentioned much at all in the English media I had dealt with.

Ah, fair enough.

If you ruled out Britons who'd been involved with or sanctioned the killing of innocents in other countries, it would leave a short list.

The Siege of Drogheda is the one usually held up as an example of English brutality in Ireland.  Yet the actual picture of it is different to the modern day myth - Drogheda was held by English Royalists, and it was those officers who suffered the 'head on a spike' treatment.  Otherwise, the brutality of it all wasn't much different to any other 17th Century siege.

[Mrs Wogans lemon drizzle]

Wanked into them?

Yes, he wanked into school meals. 

[DrGreggles]

Yes, he wanked into school meals.

Dirty boy

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

64. James Connolly, activist, politician and Marxist insurgent leader.

This James Connolly? The one that you executed on a chair? And you want to claim him now?

[TheBrownBottle]

This James Connolly? The one that you executed on a chair? And you want to claim him now?

People on the left got to vote in the pointless list too.  The only things I can really remember for it is that Clarkson actually made a decent argument for Brunel (which resulted in the high placing) and the fact the soppy cunts voted in huge numbers for Diana.

Too few voted for Michael Crawford - the Boaty McBoatface of the early 2000s.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

People on the left got to vote in the pointless list too.

Would love to know what tone-deaf asshole decided "well this Irish freedom fighter who hated the British Army, was one of the signatories of the Proclamation, and was shot sitting on a chair because he was so badly wounded during the 1916 Rising that he couldn't stand, was born in Scotland. Therefore technically he can be on the list". As if we need crumbs of recognition like that.

[TheBrownBottle]

Would love to know what tone-deaf asshole decided "well this Irish freedom fighter who hated the British Army, was one of the signatories of the Proclamation, and was shot sitting on a chair because he was so badly wounded during the 1916 Rising that he couldn't stand, was born in Scotland. Therefore technically he can be on the list". As if we need crumbs of recognition like that.

The whole thing was irretrievably stupid.  Bono was on the list - he wasn't even born in Edinburgh like Connolly.  It was ludicrous at the time and even sillier in hindsight.

[Smeraldina Rima]

I remember this. I was quite young and naive at the time and actually remember cheering and jumping up and down on the sofa when Churchill took the top spot. To me he was just a war hero.

[thenoise]

The original poll was definitely 'hijacked' by a few different special interest groups, wasn't it?  Marie Stopes scraped in by ticking two boxes - feminist/campaigner for women rights and also Eugenicist.  What's not to love?

These days - Farage would replace Powell, a few pop stars and sports stars would be updated, that's about it.  I don't think we have any modern soldiers or explorers to replace the old favourites.  If it's hijacked by the right people we might have a few politicians in there - Rees-Mogg has a weird cult following.  Maybe even Jeremy Corbyn.

Are Kate would replace are Diana.  Lovelace would replace Babbage (or, at least, beat him).  Turing would be higher.  Anyone who's had a film about them recently.

[Jittlebags]

I think I would add Ben Dover - thespian and cinematographer between Thomas Paine and David Beckham.

[DistressedArea]

I know a guy who owns four chip shops.

[EOLAN]

The Irish version had Stephen Gately in the Princess Diana role. Getting in to the top 10 largely based on his unfortunate early death.

John Hume won with President Mary Robinson, Michael Collins (not the astronaut), James Connolly and Bono (both making it on to both lists) in the top five.
Don't think any people espousing a Unionist ideology made it anywhere on the list; so I have a bit more respect for the British one including Connolly.
My personal showdown would have revived the great rivalry between Daniel O'Connell and Arthur Wellesley - Duke of Wellington.

[Thomas]

Do this again and various campaigns/mass voting would make it into something of a mess I think - you'd get right-wing nutjobs (Powell, Thatcher, Linehan etc) etc in the top 10, followed by teen/twentysomething fangirls spamming Harry Styles and various YouTubers no one over 25 has heard of, and a so-called "RickPOLL" getting Astley as high up as possible.

1. Polly McPollface.

I don't think we have any modern soldiers or explorers to replace the old favourites.

2. Marine A.

[buttgammon]

The Irish version had Stephen Gately in the Princess Diana role. Getting in to the top 10 largely based on his unfortunate early death.

John Hume won with President Mary Robinson, Michael Collins (not the astronaut), James Connolly and Bono (both making it on to both lists) in the top five.
Don't think any people espousing a Unionist ideology made it anywhere on the list; so I have a bit more respect for the British one including Connolly.
My personal showdown would have revived the great rivalry between Daniel O'Connell and Arthur Wellesley - Duke of Wellington.

Parnell? Wolfe Tone? Any writers?

[dissolute ocelot]

David Livingstone, explorer. Discovered the origins of the Nile.

Speke "discovered" the source although it wasn't confirmed till later. Livingstone explored the Congo and despite his reputation as a missionary converted only one person, who gave up after a few months. He's probably not the most useless person on the list though.

[dissolute ocelot]

Loads of countries did these. In France, de Gaulle beat out Pasteur, Resistance leader Abbe Pierre, and Marie Curie. In Russia Alexander Nevsky won with Stalin 3rd. Belgium had 3 polls, two won by missionary Father Damien and one by Jacques Brel. Germany picked Konrad Adenauer, with Hitler apparently not being eligible, but in a repeat of history they annexed Nicholas Copernicus from Poland.

Why are there no flamenco musicians on this list?

Ireland's list included Ronnie Drew, who studied flamenco guitar in Spain.

[EOLAN]

Parnell? Wolfe Tone? Any writers?

They really only did a TV show on the top five, allowing in house RTE people take up time ont he Late Late Show as per usual.
Parnell and Wolfe Tone made it along with writers such as Heaney, Joyce, Wilde, JB Keane and Yeats. No Beckett nor Shaw.

Wiki is here here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland%27s_Greatest

[SavageHedgehog]

Maybe I'm missing some context here but Michael Crawford seems like a weird "ironic" choice. He's not cool, but it's not like he's talentless or unsuccessful, or even that his work is something people only enjoyed for a brief window of time and now look back on with embarrassment. Or am I wrong on that? I don't know, I don't get it.

[DistressedArea]

Micheal Crawford owns three chip shops, which I guess is maybe quite impressive if you're from down south? 

Dunno.

[Buelligan]

My favourites are the dead ones.