Richard Hogan: Our world-class rugby team gives us all a sense of pride and confidence 

"No longer fearful of the superpowers of international rugby, we can now accurately describe ourselves as one of those superpowers. Feared and relentless."

Ireland's Johnny Sexton: a central figure to the rise of Irish rugby. Pic: Paige Young

We may be a small country, but we are a great one, too. The country of Yeats, Collins, Rory Gallagher, Markievicz, Joyce, Roy Keane’s right foot, Roy Keane’s left foot, Sexton, U2. 

Okay, so I’m channelling Hugh Grant vibes here but this small island has produced remarkable people who have dented the universe and left an indelible mark on world history.