Dublin's Most Celebrated HEROES

Our capital city is renowned for giving birth to the odd legend or two, and while we may spend too much time butting heads over which side is better, north or south, both sides of the Liffey have proven they have plenty to offer. The heroes on this list may not have freed the city from the Brits, they may not have rescued us from economic austerity, hell, they may have done feck all really, but they are heroes to us. Those salt of the earth folk who really just deserve the nod for being as God damn great as they are. Here are our true Dublin legends....

Brendan Gleeson

First off, he's the man who brought us the lovely Domhnall Gleeson, who is pretty much Ireland's, and the world's answer, to Hugh Grant. Brendan's presence in any movie automatically means you are in for a great watch - 'In Bruges' being just one small example of that. There's rumours that he may even be pipped for an Oscar next year for his role in 'Calvary', and never will a fella have deserved one more. Also he's certainly not afraid to speak his mind, as he showed on that famous Late Late Show interview all those years ago.

Miriam O'Callaghan

Genuinely, Miriam O' Callaghan is some woman for one woman. 152 children, a radio AND TV career and she still looks like she should be in a L'oreal ad telling us all we're worth it. A native of Dublin's Foxrock, this lady does the Southside proud.

Colm Meaney

The man who played Dessie Curley in The Snapper, need we say more? He's also the only Irish man to get a starring role in Star Trek, a feat all to itself really. Never will you find a more salt of the earth fella, and one you'd definitely love to sit and have a pint with. Colm, you're a legend.

Love/Hate's Nidge

Yes he's not a real person, but what do you think we are, historians or something? Nidge is the ultimate bad guy that we love to hate. (Love/Hate.... we GET it!) We know he's the guy that literally broke Tommy, and the dude who almost killed Darren, but at the bottom of it all, he is just a confused, crazy little man, dying to hold onto the power he has but somehow ending up hurting the ones he loves the most. So misunderstood, is our Nidge. Tom Vaughan Lawlor may be the poshest southsider you'll ever meet, but he plays one hell of a northsider.

Brian O'Driscoll

What do we say about this fella that we don't already know? If he wasn't busy winning Six Nations for us, he was entertaining us with his boyband haircuts and celebrity girlfriends. Although who can really even remember the Gilson years now that he has the lovely Amy Huberman - a legend in her own right - on his arm?

Brendan O'Carroll

While we do still kind of believe that somewhere, out there, there is a genie with no wishes left when it comes to Brendan O' Carroll, you can't deny the man his success. He's managed to make a fella dressed up as a Dublin aul one become a worldwide hit. We still can't believe it. You know when people say it couldn't have happened to a nicer fella though? Well, it really couldn't have. Brendan O' Carroll is genuinely sound as a pound to all he meets. A true Dublin legend.

Molly Malone

She wheeled her wheel barrow, through streets broad and narrow. Have you ever tried wheeling a wheelbarrow through a narrow street? Enough said. Hero.

The 'Ah here' lady

Yes if we hear one person say 'Ah heeerrre' we will kick them to the ground and take their lunch money, but for a while there, it was the funniest thing anyone had ever said. The 'wassssup' of our time. And for that, 'ah here' lady, we will be eternally grateful.

Ross O'Carroll Kelly

Roysh, we all know why this dude is on the list. He's like, a total focking stor, alroish? At this stage we've practically grown up with this delusional southsider. Been through the highs and lows of the teenage years, watched him become a father, and then horrifyingly a grandfather. Paul Howard's creation just keep's getting better and better and this D4 head will no doubt be selling books for many a year to come.

Amy Huberman

The nation's sweetheart. Our answer to Cheryl whatever-her-new-lastname-is, except, no offense Cheryl, but our Amy is much funnier, and much more talented. Whether it's starring in hilarious shows like Threesome, writing best selling novels, or even just how she announces she is preggars. This Cabinteely lady is the best friend we all wished we had, and a true Dublin hero.

Marian Finucane

The raspy tones of this lady have been filling our airwaves for many a year now. Indeed she was Joe Duffy before er, Joe Duffy was. Like many an RTE star over the years, she has been accused of earning a shed load more money than warranted, but that's not for this forum. Marian was a powerful voice for women in the seventies with her radio show 'Women Today' and is proof if there ever was one, that female presenters are just as welcome a voice to hear on air as males. Even if it does always sound like she's just smoked 200 cigs, we still love her.

Joe Duffy

'Joeeeeee Duffy'! He's like the Taoiseach, the Ombudsman and Santa Claus all rolled into one. If you want something done, talk to Joe. If you want to moan about the state the country is in, talk to Joe. Because it's shockin' Joe, it really is shockin'.

The Floozy in the Jacuzzi

Banished to the back arse of nowhere in Dublin now (well, she's just by Heuston, but still) this lady ruled O'Connell Street back in the day. Until some egit decided a 400 foot poll would be better. Anna Livia, as is her rightful name, was initially commissioned back in 1988 as part of the Dublin Millennium celebrations. She is said to be a personification of the Liffey, and is named after a character in James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. These days you can find her in Croppies Memorial Park, looking a bit lonely, if we're honest.

Early-hours fast food guy

This person remains nameless in their heroics. This is the guy who feeds you at three in the morning when you are too drunk to feed yourself. The person who knows that when you say chips, you WILL change it to garlic cheese chips ten seconds later. The guy that knows when you say extra vinegar, you MEAN extra vinegar. And when you are too drunk to eat your food, and inevitably spill most of it all over you, he won't judge you. He doesn't have time, he is already saving the next poor soul from themselves with a batter sausage - a true hero of the night.

Damo and Ivor

These two polar-opposites represent everything the northsiders hate about the southsiders, and everything the southsiders hate about the north. Together though, they have combined forces to become comedy heroes of this city of ours. After a first season of causing mayhem on their own with bonfires, modelling jobs and TV appearances, the pair have found one another now so doubt there will be a shed load of comedy gold from this unlikely alliance. As long as Damo isn't still trying to fleece Ivor for all he's worth and grano stays in full health to keep an eye on them that is. Damo might kick the bleedin head off you if you looked at him twice, while Ivor is probably best mates with Ross O' Carroll Kelly, but who says in the modern day world that north and south can't meet in the middle? If Damo and Ivor can find a way to live as brothers, there's hope for us all lads, hope for us all.