The best athletes of Irish descent

A lot of this list is going to be Irish Americans, but let’s start with a true blue Irishman. There are some who consider the pugnacious midfielder the greatest soccer player from Ireland ever. Manchester United fans certainly love him from his decade-plus patrolling the center of the pitch under Alex Ferguson. He also served for a time as an assistant coach for the Irish national team.

Though he represented Canada at an international level, Nolan was actually born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Primarily remembered as a San Jose Shark, Nolan was a five-time All-Star who knew how to light the lamp. He finished his NHL career with 422 career goals.

McEnroe was not everybody’s cup of tea, especially in Britain, where he rubbed people wrong at Wimbledon on numerous occasions. However, you can’t argue with the results. He was especially strong in his hometown of New York, where he won multiple US Opens.

Yes, believe it or not, McGregor is Irish. Who could have told, right? Though McGregor is not the most likable guy, his success in UFC is undeniable. Maybe you don’t want to spend a St. Patrick’s Day drinking with him, but he’s a living legend in the MMA circles.

People don’t often think about surfing as a sport, but it definitely is. On that front, Slater is considered by almost everybody as the greatest surfer who ever lived, at least professionally speaking. It may not be the most popular sport, but when you are perhaps the best person to ever do something, you are worth a tip of the cap.

His name is McHale, and he played for the Boston Celtics. It was almost fate, wasn’t it? Fortunately for the Celtics, McHale also happened to be a Hall of Famer in the making. The big man was so beloved in Boston that he appeared on some episodes of “Cheers” as himself.

Yes the Captain is partially Irish. His mother, Dorothy Connors, gives him his connection to the Emerald Isle. Given that New York was a hub for Irish immigrants, it feels fitting that Jeter played his entire career in pinstripes. Though some may have overrated him, he was still a great player and is now a Hall of Famer. He just happened to play for the Yankees, which meant hyperbole was unavoidable.

It feels fitting that Hogan grew up in a town called Dublin, Texas. Hogan helped modernize the game of golf with his style of play, and he also had a ton of success on the links. He is one of only four golfers to win all four major PGA tournaments. In fact, he won the U.S. Open the only time he ever played in it.

Before he was tragically struck down by a barrage of pretzels (in an episode of “The Simpsons,” at least), Ford was a fixture in the Yankees rotation. Whitey, or Edward as he was never really called, played his entire 16-year career with the Yankees, making 10 All-Star Games and winning six World Series. Needless to say, he’s in the Hall of Fame.

Elway could have been another Irishman (or partial Irishman) who donned the pinstripes had he made good on his threats to play pro baseball. Instead, he found his way to the Denver Broncos where he became the franchise’s greatest icon. Thanks to his success on the field, he was basically put in charge of the team in the front office. That hasn’t always worked out, but he’ll always have his two Super Bowls as a starter.

Phelps is Irish, Scottish, English, Welsh and, for a change of pace, German. His ancestors apparently made it around the United Kingdom and across the sea to the Emerald Isle. Hey, Ireland will happily claim him. After all, he’s among the most successful swimmers to ever live.

If you poke around the internet for information about which athletes are Irish, Tom Brady often pops up right away. Clearly the Irish want to claim Brady, and the ancestry is there. That’s got to make Boston’s Irish-heavy population happy (until he leaves in free agency?) If you’ve ever watched a Super Bowl, you know Brady’s track record.

No, we didn’t make a mistake. Muhammad Ali, yes THE Muhammad Ali, has Irish ancestry. There's not a lot of it, but it was notable enough that multiple news stories were written about it when it was discovered. In fact, when Ali died, Ennis, Ireland, where the boxer’s great-grandfather emigrated from, paid tribute to him.

While Daly has sometimes embodied the more negative stereotypes of being Irish, genealogy is genealogy. The wild golfer with the big drive has had an eventful life, and he had an impressive career as well. It wasn’t always perfect for Daly, but it was certainly interesting.

When you really think about it, “Nolan Ryan” is a rather Irish name. Nobody should be surprised about this one. The Irish will happily claim the most prolific strikeout pitcher in baseball history as one of their own. Surely there was a batter or two who downed a glass of Guinness after facing the Ryan Express in the batter’s box.

How fitting of a name to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick made a lot of noise when she came onto the auto racing scene thanks to her skills and her trailblazing as a female race car driver. No word on whether she’s ever driven a snake out of Ireland.

McDavid is quickly rising up the rankings of the best athletes of Irish ancestry. Since being drafted by the Oilers, the speedy center has made his name known to all hockey fans. He’s already racking up awards, and he’s only getting started. All he needs are some better teammates, though Leon Draisaitl (a German, for the record) is a nice start.

Not every catcher can hit like McCann, um, can. Since debuting as a Brave, he’s made noise with his bat to the tune of 270 home runs. After bouncing around a bit and winning a (now controversial) World Series in Houston, McCann returned to the Braves for one season in 2019 before retiring. 

They straight up call him “Irish” Micky Ward...if you needed any other validation for him being on this list. The boxer isn’t just a multiple-time welterweight champion. He was also played by Mark Wahlberg in “The Fighter.” How many other athletes on this list can claim that? None, as far as we know, since Vince Papale didn’t make the cut.

Kidd has an Irish mother, so it’s too bad he never played for a team that wore a lot of green. Hey, at least he got to coach the Bucks briefly. While his coaching career has been mediocre, his playing career is unimpeachable. Few players have ever had the passing skill of Kidd, who also added a three-point shot at the end of his career.

Whenever Shanahan scored a goal with the Detroit Red Wings, an Irish jig would play to celebrate. He scored once on St. Patrick’s Day to the joy of many. Even if he hadn’t had such a great career, this fact alone would have qualified him for this list.

His birth name was John Brian Patrick Quinn. He was known as “The Big Irishman.” What more could you want? Quinn is mostly remembered for his successful career as a head coach in the NHL, but he had a long playing career as well. The imposing defenseman played for the Maple Leafs, the Canucks and the then-Atlanta Flames.

Well, if nothing else O’Neill is a “true Yankee.” Sure, that’s because he was a scrappy, fiery player whom a certain kind of blue-collar fan related to. He was a good player, but his greatest achievement was probably playing himself in an episode of “Seinfeld.”

Casey had a solid career. He made three All-Star Games and is in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. However, he’s also something of baseball’s Mr. Congeniality. When he played, Casey earned the nickname “The Mayor” for his jovial demeanor at first base. If an opposing batter ever stopped at first, he could count on a friendly conversation with Casey.

Let’s end with another soccer player truly from Ireland, or rather Northern Ireland. That’s a touchy subject, we know, but we still wanted to acknowledge Best. He was one of the best of his era. Best played a beautiful, dynamic game, which unfortunately was never seen at the World Cup level. His country of origin is the reason for that, but his play was undeniable. You know who once called Best the greatest soccer player in the world? None other than Pele.