Let’s stop knocking our own

INCLUDED in the guest list on the final “Late Late Show” of 2011 were Gabriel Byrne, Diarmuid Gavin, CT Wilkinson and the RTÉ concert Orchestra. All are Irish.

When the show finished my heart was pounding. I was proud to be Irish. Here are some of our own, who against all the odds have punched above their weight and made it to the top in this extraordinarily difficult world. They are not the only ones. We have the two best rugby teams in Europe. We have our international soccer team joint top of its qualifying group. We have Robbie Keane beating Bobby Charlton’s international goal scoring record for Ireland and Britain.

U2 are recognised as the world’s greatest rock group. We have Mary Byrne who never gave up her dream. We have Katie Taylor, the best female boxer in the world, and Olympic silver medallist Kenny Egan.