The Very Best in a Land of Legends

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SOCCER genius George Best comes higher - at No12 - in a new list of the top 50 Irishmen than other legends like world-famous writer James Joyce (No25). A new book, published in time for St Patrick's Day on March 17, has compiled the definitive list of the top 100 Irish men and women of all time. The country's patron saint tops the list by Irish historian Peter Costello, with James Joyce, David Trimble, JFK and Van Morrison featuring too. Here we present the top 50 names in order...

1

ST PATRICK 389-461 AD Introduced Christianity after being kidnapped by Irish pirates.

2

EAMON DE VALERA 1882-1975 Spared after the 1916 Easter Rising. First President of Republic.

3

MICHAEL COLLINS 1890-1922 Masterminded guerrilla war against the British from 1919-21.

4

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY 1917-1963 First Catholic U.S. President. …