John Hume voted “Ireland’s greatest”

John Hume wins the RTE competition, followed by Michael Collins, Mary Robinson, James Connolly and Bono ( at least according to the Irish Times report. Ryan Tubridy announced the losers ” in no particular order”). Pity no voting figures were given for the phone-in poll. But there we are. No Taoiseach made it to the final five, not even Dev, while Collins did – although I suppose we can count him briefly as the formal head of the provisional government.

Interesting if  the mainly southern audience lifted their heads from their current troubles to the perspective of history and  awarded the prize to a northerner. Hume’s achievment must at the moment seem far from what preoccupies them at the moment.

I wonder about the absence of figures. Might it have  been  low poll but with a big lobby from the north, with those keenest winning?

Explain please, RTE.

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